Simple Submission
by edwards backup
Summary: Rogue's happy. She's got friend's and she's got Bobby. Logan's coming back in a week and she's finally learing how to master her power's. But a stranger comes to the school and he wants in her life with or without her permission.
1. Default Chapter

Simple Submission 

Chapter 1

Rogue smiled as Bobby slid his hands around her waist from behind and pulled her into him. She had been in the rec. room alone and she was starting to get bored until he came.

"Hey stranger," she whispered and pulled his arms around her tighter. "What you doin in here?'

Bobby buried his head in her neck, which was covered by a light scarf, and said. "Oh nothing much. Just looking' for something to occupy myself with."

"And ah was the first thing that you thought of? Gee, how sweet Bobby. Now I feel really special." She said dryly and walked out of his arms. Bobby laughed and walked after her.

"Awwww come on Rogue. You know I love you." He reached out to grab her before she walked out of the room but all of a sudden she ran. Bobby smiled and ran an after her.

She ran through corridors and into a room and out the next until she came to a dead end. She turned to find Bobby closing in on her, grinning like a jackal. "No where to run, no-where to hide."

They weren't alone in the room, even if no-one was paying attention to them, but Rogue came up with an idea. She waited until she was at least in Bobby's reach and then vaulted over the coach running over beside Kitty. She pulled her glove off and used one finger to touch her friend for the tiniest of seconds. Just long enough to feel her powers run into her own pale fingers and then she took one last look at Bobby, who by now had realized her plan was running towards her, and ran through the wall facing her.

She didn't stop until she was sure she had 'shadowed' enough walls, and people, to keep Bobby looking for her for a while. Rogue ran into a room laughing and congratulating herself on her ingenious plan. She turned to look at her surroundings. She had ended up in one of the adult visitor rooms on the east-wing of the school. It contained a bed, a locker, a small black lamp and through a door she supposed there was an un-suite toilet. There was also a cupboard, chest of drawers, and the ugliest pair of curtains she had ever seen.

Rogue walked over to them and took in their completely unique and effectively disgusting design. They were covered in white kittens that were dressed in boots and hats, each having its own colour of bow tied round its neck. Thus, she did not see the door open and close behind her. She had the rugged fabric in her hand and was starring at it completely stupefied as to how it got past Storm when she was decorating the mansion when she heard a voice behind her.

"Remy was thinking of getting a girl tonight, but no matter how good he looks he did not expect one to be here waiting for him." Rogue spun round to find a man standing beside the door looking quite amused with his own joke.

She quickly dropped the curtain and blushed furiously. "I-em-I was…sorry I'll go." She managed to get out. She rushed towards the door, but the boy put his hands out to stop her.

"Remy be jokin' chere. He did not mean to frighten you." He smiled down at her and she blushed even more furiously. 

"Yah didn't frighten me," Rogue said stepping out of his reach. "Ah just thought you might have been a friend." Rogue found herself not wanting to tell the stranger Bobby's name or even that he was her boyfriend. She would think of a good enough reason later.

The boy smiled and shook his head. "De name's Gambit or Remy Le Beau to de ladies." He winked at her and went over to the bed to drop his bags. "I be a friend of Stormy's. Stayin' here for a while. You must be one of the gifted students non," He asked.

"Eh…Yeah." She muttered. He took off his trench coat and through it on the bed, giving her a chance to take a better look at him. He could've passed for twenty-five, but couldn't have been more than nineteen. He had on a black top that was tight enough to show off his six-pack to perfection, baggy jeans that had the look of being used many times before, black wrist guards, combat boots that could have only been issued by the army and sunglasses that looked to damn comfortable to be from a trade shop. His hair was long and messy with the colour of rusty brown. It gave off the attractive look of a rebel. Rogue let her mind wander until she realized that Remy had stopped talking. She looked up and found him mirroring her first thoughts.

His eyes were effectively roaming her body, straying on her upper half and then back down to her legs. He took time long enough to have Rogue blushing at the thought of what he might be thinking. She caught his eye and he smiled at her. A smile that told you he was thinking the exact wicked thoughts that she thought he would be thinking, the kind of thoughts that Rogue wanted to grant him but didn't know if she had enough of a wild side to do it. "Mon Dieu girl," Remy whispered walking towards her. "Where have you been all my life?"

He was about two stride's away from her when Rogue put her hands out to sop him coming any closer. "Sorry sugah, but I'm taken." He took her hands that were on his chest and bent them in until their faces were close enough to touch. "Dats never stopped me before, chere."

"Well maybe the fact that my skin will suck your memories, mutant abilities and effectively your life force, will." He starred at her and grinned again. " You think I'm joking swamp rat?"

Rogue get to hear what he thought at all because she heard Bobby come through the door laughing. "Rogue I know your in here I heard-" He stopped as soon as he saw that Rogue was practically in the arms of a stranger.

Rogue knew what it must have looked like to Bobby. His girlfriend being this close to some _guy _was probably building up the jealousy that all boyfriends have. She jumped out of Gambit's arms and took Bobby's hand.

"Bobby you found me! What took you so long?" She cried, desperate to take his thoughts away from the boy.

"There's a lot of rooms in the mansion Rogue. I had to go into every one of them to find you." He never looked at her, choosing instead to keep his eyes on the boy in front of him. "Who's this?" There was no doubt in who he was talking about. 

"Eh…this is-" Rogue wasn't actually sure it was a good idea to have Bobby knowing the new guys name since he was pulling the whole protective/jealousy thing that her friends had told her about when she had been back in Mississippi.

"De name's Gambit mon ami. Et toi?" Remy smiled as he said it, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Bobby drew himself straighter and said, "My name's Iceman. I'm Rogue's boyfriend." Neither offered to shake each other's hand.

Remy cocked his head to one said and looked at Rogue. "_Rogue_ did say something along the lines of bein' taking during her…_friendly_ welcome."

Rogue glared at him and placed herself in front of her raging boyfriend. 

Bobby was silent as he tried to work out the Cajun's remark in his head, who was, she assumed, doing some kind of gesture to piss Bobby off even more. "What did he mean?" He growled, making her shiver.

"Nothing Bobby!" She said exasperated. "Ah was just talkin' to him. Nothing happened!" When Bobby didn't back off she started to get annoyed. "God Bobby. It's great to know you have so much faith in our relationship." Rogue said sarcastically. "You not only don't trust me, but now you think my mutation has up and left, leaving my skin nice and touchable again!"

Bobby looked down at her in surprise. "Rogue, I'm sorry I didn't think."

"Well next time try to Bobby, really try!" She hissed. She turned to Gambit and said. "Goodbye Mr. Le Beau. Congratulations in succeeding in making my boyfriend jealous. I'm sure you enjoyed every minute of it Swamp Rat." 

"Gambit can assure you chere, he did." He grinned at her, but after his actions it had absolutely no effect. "Swamp Rat?" He asked.

Rogue laughed. "Ah know you're from the swamp's of N' Orleans. The name seems to fit you."

He grinned at her and took her hand. "Well den, it seems to fit if Remy named you River Rat. Since he knows you must of come from the Mississippi."

Rogue shrugged. "It's not exactly may best preference." She heard Bobby behind her making strangling noises and she turned to him. "Problem?" She didn't even wait for an answer. She just walked out leaving the teens to themselves. 


	2. chapter 2

Simple Submission 

Chapter 1

When Rogue went to sleep that night, her dreams were not her own. She was driving through what looked like a desert, though not in the Egyptian kind. More like Mexican, with cactus' popping up every now and again. Her hands ass was getting numb on the uncomfortable seat and she needed a drink. Definitely some kind of beer. She lifted her head and smelt the air. A grin spread across her face as she smelt the sweat and world-wide stink of a bar in the distance.

And sure enough, after a while there were neon lights spelling out a sign that made her laugh. '_Paddy's Point' the only club for 500 miles. _Paddy's point? How the hell did an Irish pub like that get all the way out to Mexico. Then she laughed at herself. Who cares?

She pulled over and parked her motorbike up beside some Harley's. She pushed open the wire door and was surprised to find over 100 people in the packed bar, surrounding either the pool table, the darts board or, surprisingly, the table tennis table. She took a moment to wonder where they all came from, since she hadn't seen a house for at least 50 miles. She walked further into the room and managed to persuade a drunkard to give him his stool after she threw him across the room.

A red-head woman leaned over the bar, giving her full few of her cleavage, and asked what she wanted. One word. _Beer. _She smiled at her as she passed her the beer, with her number, patting her ass. The woman turned and remarked on how beautiful her eyes were. The most stunning green she'd ever seen infact. She smiled, thinking without doubt what she would be doing tonight. She took in her surroundings, thinking that no-one had ever said anything about her eyes before. And then it dawned on her. She didn't have green eyes and she didn't like beer. And why the hell was she thinking of fucking a woman?

She stood up quickly knocking over her stool and looked at herself in the mirror behind the bar. 

"JESUS CHRIST!" She wasn't this, _she_ wasn't a _man_!"LOGAN!"

***

"LOGAN!" Rogue screamed, sitting up in bed. "Ohmigod Ohmigod Ohmigod." She hugged her knees to her chest and let the tears stream down her face. She didn't want to be found like this, not when she had just gotten out of the image of the stupid girl who cries all the time. She shoved up her mental shields so ferociously that her own head shot upwards. She didn't want Professor X to hear her telepathically. 

She crawled out of bed and sat on the floor biting her lip to keep herself from screaming again. How the hell had she been in Logan's body? Especially since he was all the way in Mexico. She thought it had been a dream form one of the other physic's, but this was real. She could still taste the beer in her mouth.

With that thought, she got up and made her way to the kitchen, thinking of getting a glass of water to wash out the taste of cigar and alcohol. She reached the door, but stopped dead when she realized there were other people in there. Bobby and Jubilee by the sounds of it. They were laughing and talking, something that Rogue did not need right now. She wanted silence, peace and quiet where she could think about her new found ability.

She didn't go to the rec. room because she knew that Paul would be in there. The kid that never sleeps. She made her way down to the garage because none of the kids with cars would be out at 4:00 in the morning. She sat down beside Scott's car and pulled her legs to her chest.

How could this have happened? She knew her powers had been evolving lately, allowing her more time for touch between her and her friends. But there was only a few seconds for contact before her powers kicked in and she became the untouchable again. It was an overwhelming thought that she was able to keep contact with Logan through her dreams, even with his shields in place because she knew he always had them up in fear of someone finding out something about his past before he did. But Logan might not be the only she had this bond with. It might be with everyone she had ever absorbed. That meant Bobby, Magneto and _Cody_.

__

Cody. Her first boyfriend. She could really find out how he was. If he was out of his coma. Tears started to build up at the thought of him. She hadn't meant to hurt him, it was the first time her powers had kicked in and she didn't have a clue what was going on.

She pushed those thoughts away and concentrated on steadying her breathing. Her breaths became long and deep. She was relaxing and her thoughts wavered. she felt herself slipping into sleep.

***

She was on her motorbike again and she was furious. Rogue was in trouble. That's the only reason that she had contacted her. She had to get back to the school. She couldn't have done it on purpose, but yet the kid was always following her around and he knew she had feeling s for her, but-

She realized she wasn't alone. "WHAT THE HELL? ROGUE?" 

***

Rogue woke up again sweating and screaming. She was thrashing trying to get free of whatever was holding her. The thing rocked her back and forth, whispering words she couldn't make out. Her heartbeat slowed and she settled into the rhythm of her occupants arms. 

She started to whimper, knowing it sounded pathetic but she couldn't help it. She didn't understand anything any more. Logan thought she was in trouble and was coming to the school to supposedly save her.

She needed to stop this. But how? Create an insomnia for herself? Drink coffee 24/7? Her mind raced while she was held by a stranger. When she realized she still didn't know who it was, she opened her eyes.

She was lying in the arms of the Cajun she'd met earlier. Storm's friend, Remy LeBeau. She had unconsciously put her arms around his waist and was sitting in his lap while her stroked her hair and lulled her with, what she supposed were, sweet nothings in French.

She followed her instinct and jumped away from him, pulling the straps of her nightdress up her shoulders as far as they would go. He stopped muttering and smiled at her. "Remy swears, he saw nothing."

She noticed he was fully dressed in the sort of gear Wolverine would have used if he was going on his motorbike and if he didn't heal like a son of a bitch. "What the hell were you doing?"

"If Remy said he was just passing by, would you believe him?" 

She hoped the look on his face answered his question.


	3. chapter 3

Simple Submission

Chapter 3

Rogue was sitting with her back to Scott's car. In front of her was a man she had only meet the day before and the only thing she knew about him was that he was Storm's friend, (which he kept on reminding her) and that his name was Remy LeBeau. But only to the ladies. God, it was sickening she remembered that.

"So, _Gambit_," She didn't want him to think she was interested in anything to do with his body, so she used the name he had told her only his enemy's used. If he realized what she was doing then he didn't show it. "You wanna tell me the real reason you just happened to find me in the garage. And don't try and convince me you were just on your way to the kitchen and you heard me screaming. This room's soundproof so there's no way you could have heard me."

He smiled, showing his teeth which were as white as snow on a first day of winter. They couldn't have been natural Rogue decided. "You're right of coarse. Remy didn't hear you screaming. But can't you just be grateful dat I got to you when I did. It looks like whatever monster you were dreaming about, petite, was about to eat you."

Rogue blushed at his analysis. "I wasn't dreaming about a monster"

"Then what were you dreaming about, chere?" He had a small smirk on his lips. "I don't think it was Remy because if it was, you wouldn't being screaming like that."

Rogue shook her head. "Stop trying to change the subject you cocky bastard. Tell me why you heard me even through soundproof walls?!"

He looked at her, as if considering whether to tell her the truth or not. She hoped he did, because right now she wasn't in the mood for any of his cock and bull stories. He reached up and touched his glasses. "Remy be a mutant of exceptional ability. He doesn't just have one power, but two and the added bonus of being able to see in the dark." He lifted off his glasses and starred her right in the face.

Rogue gasped as she saw what he had been hiding behind his glasses. His eyes did not have the normal iris and pupil. He didn't have the normal colours of green, brown, blue or even grey. His iris was the colour of blood and they stood out against the darkest black imaginable that Rogue could feel herself slipping into. 

All sense of reality faded and Rogue was left aware of nothing else but the older man in front of her and his enchanting eyes. Rogue felt herself being pulled towards him. She lifted her hands to slap away Gambit's hands, but found her own want was pulling her towards him. She was kneeling above him, not quite touching him, caught between her own body's want and her mind's scream of reality.

Images flashed through her head, mostly of Remy's body intertwined with her own or of fits of pleasure created by the Cajun before her. Then thoughts of Bobby mercifully passed through her mind. The small intimate things they had been able to do when her powers evolved overpowered her fantasies and cleared her vision.

Gambit had moved above her and was touching her hair. She shrunk back from him and held on to the thought of her boyfriend. _The Iceman. _Gambit froze. His hand in the same place it had been when she was beside him. He dropped his hand and kept his gaze on her face.

"Remy thought…..dat you wouldn't….." Rogue was huddled against the car, keeping her mind on her boyfriend. Promising to get him the best present that she could think of. When she glanced back at Remy, avoiding his eyes, he had put his glasses back on and was shuffling his cards.

"Dese……eyes, give Remy the ability to see what others can't at night or without light. That's how he saw you when you came in." He paused with his shuffling and glanced at her. He pulled off his coat and walked over to her slowly. Somewhat like walking towards a frightened animal. Slowly and always keeping eye contact.

"Rogue your shivering. Remy's coat will keep you warm." He moved to put the coat around her shoulders, but Rogue pushed herself against the car and closed her eyes. She felt childish and cruel, but it was the only way to keep from touching him. She heard Remy's voice. "It has been a long time since Remy saw real fear in anyone's eyes, that has been caused by him." His voice sounded distant and Rogue was sure if she could see his face it would have held hurt

Rogue didn't want to speak. She didn't feel she could trust herself after what she had felt for him. But the stupid cajin thought it was because she was scared of him. "I'm not scared of you. I just don't like being touched."

"But Remy didn't touch you. Rougey tried to touch him." She gritted her teeth and fought the urge to blush. "It works both ways. People don't touch me and I don't touch them. Simple."

"Then why did you try to touch Remy? If you knew it was going to……hurt him." Rogue let out a squeal of frustration and squeezed her nails into the palms of her hands to concentrate on the pain. "I-DON'T-KNOW-GAMBIT!" She managed to get through clenched teeth. "Maybe you just, I don't know, bring out the worst in me."

She got up and pushed past him, but his arm shot out to block her way. "Remy didn't just come to you because he saw you I the dark chere." Rogue starred at him blankly, then realized what he was talking about. He had been explaining before, why he had helped her. 

"Remy's second power, the one that makes him special, is the one that he used. _Empathy_. The ability to feel what others are feeling. Remy felt your pain when you came in. Dat is why he went to you, to stop the hurt." He turned her to face him properly. "Remy knows what you felt when you saw his eyes chere. And he can definitely say, it's not the worst he brings out in you. It's the best."

Rogue turned away from him and felt her face pale. He knew what she had been thinking at that moment. He knew that she had wanted to touch him, no matter what the consequences. Then he also knew why she had stopped. "Would you have let me touch you?" She whispered turning to see the reaction on his face.

He let her go and took off his glasses. She shuddered when she saw his eyes again but she didn't reach out to him. She felt herself calm and she sagged allowing him to catch her. "Unless you desire it, you will never touch Remy and he will never touch you. Until you wish it to be so."

He lifted her, easily without any notice of her weight and took her out of the room. Rogue was utterly calm about him being so close to her skin and she only moved when the string from her sting-top night-gown slipped down her arm.

She was vaguely aware that Remy had somehow calmed her and was controlling her emotions until he was out of the way. He was walking up the stairs. Opening and closing doors without help form his hands. Rogue didn't speak because she didn't feel the need to.

She was safe in this man's arms. She felt protected as he carried her through the hallways of her school and into her bedroom. He lay her down on the bed and pulled the covers around her neck. He reached out and stroked her white hair from her face. She could hear whisperings of French as he stroked her face and she felt something that she had never felt for Bobby building inside her.

Rogue stopped his hand on her face, placing her own hand over it and willing herself not to fall for the stupid cajin in front of her. "I have a boyfriend." She whispered, more convincing herself than anything.

Remy grinned and cocked his head in the opposite direction that she was lying. "De ice-boy just makes this game more interesting. De Popsicle may hold your hand in the day, but you are mine at night."

Rogue raised her eyebrows at him annoyed at his assumption. "And you think this is gonna happen every night? You need a girl that thinks you're a hero Gambit and I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna cut it."

His smile widened and she realized he was planning exactly what he was going to do. She pushed his hand away and turned her back to him. "Goodnight Gambit. Don't expect this to be a regular occurrence."

She waited for the sound of him leaving or at least of the door closing. But instead she felt a small brush of lips on her head too quick for her powers to react to the skin contact. "Remy see you tomorrow Rogue. And the next night and the night after that, for a very long time."

Rogue sat up to object but Remy put a card to her lips. "Until we meet again chere. _Je reve de toi._" Rogue held the card to her lips as he gave her another kiss. She watched him until he closed the door, then turned on her lights and found a pen and paper. She scribbled down what he had said, or atleast what it had sounded like, and made a mental note to ask the professor what it meant the next day.

She mumbled the words to herself as she got back into bed and fell asleep. For the rest of the night, she had no dreams about Logan.


	4. chapter 4

Simple Submission

Chapter 4

Rogue woke up the next day in a better mood than she had been since Logan left. She practically jumped out of bed and out the door, but she pulled a pair of jeans and her gloves, just in case she ran into anyone along the corridors. She doubted it since it was so early, but it never hurt to be careful.

She ran along the corridors and stopped outside Bobby's room. She opened the door as quietly as she could. Bobby was in bed, still sleeping. She tiptoed into the room and closed the door behind her. She took a moment to realize how good-looking her boyfriend was and how adorable he was when he was sleeping.

She considered getting into bed beside him, but felt she had too much energy for that. She walked as quietly as she could over to his bed and pulled the bedcovers clean off him. He looked round and squinted in the light. "Wake up!" She shouted, jumping onto the bed. He took a few seconds to realize what was happening and then groaned and lifted his pillow over his head.

She laughed and sat down. "Come on Bobby, get up! I want to do something!" He mumbled something incoherent into the pillow, but still didn't move. She raised an eyebrow at him and thought of the best thing she could do that would get him up. "Bobby if you don't move right now, there will be consequences." He didn't stir. 

Rogue shrugged and started to tickle him. Immediately he started to squirm and wriggle under her mercy. He finally let out a forced giggle and rolled off the bed away from her. She laughed and lay down so she could see over the side of the bed where he fell. "Alright, alright. I'm up!" She sat up and clapped her hands together like a child. "What d'you want to do?" He sat on the bed beside her and looked at her sideways. "What?" She asked.

He jumped her and started to tickle her. She screamed and laughed while he held her down. "Bobby no! I'm sorry! Mercy!" But he didn't stop he kept on tickling her in the places he had found to be her weak spots. Behind her knees, above her waist and mostly her feet. "Bobby please!" She laughed and fought for air, as he relentlessly tortured her. He finally stopped when Peter nearly broke down the door banging on it. "Shut up Drake, before I come in there and do it for you." 

They both collapsed laughing. Bobby crawled up to the head of the bed beside her and slid down beside her body. He slid his arm across her waist and pulled her closer into him. She cradled his arm in hers and smiled. He buried his head in beside her neck so she could feel his breath dance upon her skin. She was reminded of last night when she had wanted to go to Gambit and the mere thought of Bobby had stopped her. How could she even have thought about the Cajun like that, when she had Bobby as her boyfriend. She scolded herself for the umpteenth and turned so she was facing Bobby.

"Thank you." She pressed her hands into his chest and snuggled her head into them but he held her back. "Thanks for what?" He looked puzzled. Rogue shrugged and kissed him. "Thank you for being you. Thank you for noticing me. Thank you." He smiled still looking slightly perplexed but didn't ask anymore questions. Instead he cradled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

They lay like that together until Jubilee came in to borrow Bobby's chemistry book and found them. Her chants had followed Rogue the whole way down the hallway to her room.

She was back at the freak school. Standing outside it infact, slipping off her biker gloves. She supposed it wasn't _so bad_ to be back. She had missed the kid and Storm, but she hadn't been sure she could come back if Jean wasn't here. She was the main thing that had kept her coming back for visits, keeping her grounded. But now that she was gone, it was the kid that had brought her back. Her and her stupid thoughts in her head. As if she had taken over her. She had called her back and she needed to find out what was wrong.

She pushed open the door and bumped straight into some kid with green hair. She raised an eyebrow at the kid, who was staring off into space and then side-stepped him. No point in asking help form him, looked like he didn't have any sense in him anyway. 

It wasn't long before she found someone else. It was the boy that didn't sleep. She wondered what they called him. Probably something scientific like _Insomnia_ or some name she wouldn't understand. He directed her to where she needed to go and ran off down the hallway after his friends. She took the directions he had told her and ended outside a classroom. "Go figure," she muttered before opening the door. She turned to see Cyclops in front of the class. She went momentarily cold at the memories of him and Jean together then calmed and attempted a smile, but she was pretty sure it came out a grimace.

"Logan?" Scott said in surprise. "What are you doing here?" She looked around the classroom, taking in her surroundings. "I-" Then she saw her, the kid, her……..

Rogue woke up screaming. She had fallen asleep in her English class and had invaded Logan's subconscious again. She stood up and knocked over her table which made her even more frightened. "Rogue…." Logan was in the doorway and was walking towards her. She walked backwards away from him and tripped over a vacant chair. It made her stop screaming, but she kept on moving backwards on her hands and knees.

The students all ran towards the other side of the room away form her. "Scott what's wrong with her?" Jubilee shouted. But Scott was speechless. He starred at Rogue and shook his head in disbelief. He walked towards her and it made her move even further backwards. She didn't stop until she hit the wall. 

Logan turned to Scott and shouted at him. "Cyclops, what's the matter with her?" Scott turned and shook his head again. "I don't know." He seemed to have regained his voice because he started issuing orders to the students. "Jubilee, go and inform the Professor about Rogue. Kitty go and get Storm form the medical wing. Peter, go and get Bobby out of his Computers class." All students obeyed and were gone almost immediately.

Logan turned to Scott. "Your getting the Iceman? What for?" Scott turned to him, stony-faced. "_Bobby _is Rogue's boyfriend. He knows her better than anyone else. He may be able to help." As if on cue, Peter and Bobby came running through the doors. "What's wrong with Rogue?" He asked immediately. His face paled when he caught sight of her against the wall.

He ran towards her, but Logan grabbed him before he could get any closer. "What are you doing, let go of me!" He seemed furious. Logan growled at him. "Look at her kid, she's terrified of you." It was true. Rogue didn't want anyone near her. Not even Bobby. When he had come closer to her, she had pressed herself hard enough into the wall that she knew she would have bruises the next day. Bobby was gaping at her. "Rogue-" 

"It's alright Bobby," Professor Xavier's voice came form the doorway. "She's just scared that's all."

The Professor calm as always greeted Logan, who didn't reply and then wheeled his way over to Rogue. He stopped when he heard her whimper. Professor Xavier was the kindest person she knew, but somehow he still posed a threat. "Rogue I am going to probe your mind. It won't hurt but you need to stay very calm during it." Rogue tried to settle her breathing but it was so hard.

She felt the Professor enter her mind and she started to pant. _Slowly Rogue, slowly. That's it, in and out. Good girl. _His voice rang through her head trying to calm her nerves. _We need to find some kind of memory that will calm your emotions. Help me Rogue. _Faces flashed through her mind, laughing, shouting, crying. The Professor was trying to find something or someone that could relax her. 

It was like sorting through a file cabinet. He would pick a memory out from a particular time and when it had no affect hw would shift it aside taking up another. After a while the Professor seemed to be singling out the memories of Logan and Bobby. He concentrated on these, forcing Rogue to remember them, but when she saw Logan she remembered how inhuman he could be and her breath quickened again.

The Professor then replaced the memories of Logan with others of Bobby and for a few milli-seconds it seemed to be working, but then the memories of their fights began to crop up. How cruel he could be and how hurtful. Rogue slowly felt her heartbeat quicken as the Professor showed her more pictures of the Iceman. He just wasn't getting it. _I don't want Bobby._ She screamed at him. The Professor slowly started to put the memories of Bobby back in their place. She could feel his concern while she started to shut him out of her mind.

__

No Rogue! I can help. Just tell me what you want and I will try my best to get it for you. It was the panic in his voice that had made her consider this. The Professor never panicked. He was the Polaroid of calm. She really thought about the question before she answered. If she didn't get something to calm her soon she was going to hyperventilate.

She finally found something. Something she would never admit to anyone except the Professor. _Gambit._ The Professor didn't even blink. "Storm find Gambit." Rogue had forgotten they weren't alone. Suddenly she found the walls closing in on her and grabbed the side of her head. She could feel some of the people in the room now. She didn't have to open her eyes to know Logan, Bobby and Kitty were still there. She could feel Logan's anger, Kitty's fear and Bobby's outrage. 

__

"She wants that guy? Storm's friend? Why? Why doesn't she want me?" He seemed furious, as if she had defied him somehow. Broken a sacred pack that they had shared. This just added to Rogue's nervousness. What was she going to do now? She couldn't loose Bobby, she needed him. Just not right now.

Logan seemed to be angry even without the knowledge of what was going on. _"Who the hell is Gambit? And how does Rogue know him?" _Rogue tried to keep them out of her head, but their emotions were coming down on her like a ton of bricks. Kitty was nearly making her cry with worry and Logan made her want to punch something with annoyance. Bobby just wanted to hurt somebody.

Small noises started to find their way out of her mouth. Whimpers, sobs, shouts, growls. Why wasn't the Professor helping her? She needed to get the emotions out of her head. They weren't hers. And she didn't want them.

Finally, oblivious to Rogue's new cause of suffering, the Professor announced that Gambit was coming now. He came through the door and went straight to Rogue. Bobby sort of growled at him when he went passed and Logan gave him the meanest snarl he could muster, but his eyes were for Rogue and he gave no notice to the two.

"Careful. She doesn't want anyone near her." Scott warned as Gambit took off his coat. He handed it to the older man and smiled. "Don't worry mon ami. Gambit be sort of in de fille's favor at de moment." He turned his attention to Rogue and walked very slowly towards her.

Rogue waited for the fear of his closeness overtake her, but to her surprise she was calming. With every step he took closer, Rogue breathing slowed and her heartbeat took its normal pace. "Oh chere, what have you done to yourself? Mmmmm?" He bent on his legs and took even smaller steps in even slower time to reach her.

"Gambit just want to help a pretty fille. You gonna let him help you, chere?" She felt the tension in her shoulders calm and her grip on her knees loosen. "Dats it. Just relax. Gambit not gonna hurt you." He reached up and touching her hand. When she didn't object he took both of her arms and pulled her towards him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and sat her down onto his knees.

She let her body relax against his and placed her forehead on his neck. He had some kind of head gear on that covered his forehead to his collarbone, so she wasn't touching any of his skin. He rocked her and hummed to her, every now and then whispering words of comfort into her ear.

When he was finally satisfied that she had calmed completely he lifted her in his arms, standing up with no support from anything. It seemed strings were pulling him up. To a semi-conscious Rogue, it was very graceful, even beautiful. When he turned to their audience with her in his arms Bobby's face was almost matching Logan's. It made her huddle into Gambit even more. She was glad she couldn't feel either of their emotions now.


	5. chapter 5

Chapter 5

When Rogue woke up in her bed, it was darker outside than it had been from what she had remembered. Someone had taken off her jacket, socks and shoes, and had laid her under the covers. She lay still for a few moments, wondering if she just stayed under the covers for the rest of her life, people would leave her alone.

Answering her own question felt stupid. Of coarse they wouldn't, but it would be so much easier if they did. If she got up now, she'd have to face everyone, knowing that word will have spread and that she was some kind of weird freak who screamed a lot. Not a good reputation to have round mutant-ville.

She took a few seconds to appreciate how comfortable she was alone in her bedroom and then got up. Her hair was a mess, and her face felt stiff and hard. She took a shower to get the smell of sweat off her body and shoved on some clothes. She opened the door cautiously and checked outside. No-one was around.

You know that saying that keeps up cropping up in stupid action-movies with detectives walking around in houses? You know, one of the police-men will look at his partner and say _"It's quiet…"_ and then he'll say, _"Too quiet…" _In an eerie voice? And some murderous criminal with a grenade will pop out of a room somewhere, attempting to blow them up, but missing by miles? Well that's exactly the situation Rogue thought she was in. Except the murderous criminal with the grenade, was Jubilee and since she came to the school, her aim has got way better.

Of coarse Jubilee had no reason to blow Rogue up, but that didn't stop the Southerner from creeping down the corridors as quiet as a cat and hugging herself into the walls. She did not want to be seen right now, and a confrontation with any of her friends would have scared her shitless.

Especially with Kitty. The memory of her thoughts earlier on that day came back, making her shudder and stop momentarily. And suddenly she knew where Kitty was. And Logan. And Bobby. She couldn't feel their emotions, and she didn't invade their self-conscious, but she knew what they were doing and how much energy they had left.

She shook her head and focused her mind on the colours of the carpet. It was a sort of midnight blue pattern, with even darker blue thread, carefully woven through the whole corridor. She was reminded of Bobby's eyes and how they were the colour of dark ice, with a darker blue center. That woke her up completely. She had been on her way to Bobby's room to check if he was there. And now she knew for certain.

When she was outside the door, she attempted to sense Bobby's feelings like she had earlier, but all that brought was the recollection of how angry he had been at her, because of her apparent betrayal to him when she had let the Cajun near her and not him. Her own boyfriend.

She sighed and leaned her palms against Bobby's door. She really did not want to do this. He had been so angry at her, but she couldn't help but feel slightly irritated at him. How could he be so selfish? He had no idea what was going on with her at the moment and he had just jumped to conclusions about everything. Infact he was the one who should have been apologizing, not her. He probably hadn't even cared how she was afterwards.

Rogue mentally slapped herself. Of coarse he cared about her, she had evidence on numerous occasions when he had thought about her before he thought about himself. What about when Stryker had raided the school? Bobby was one of the first students to know what was happening and he had come to find her, regardless of getting captured himself. He really did care for her and she owed him an explanation to what she had done yesterday. Problem was she didn't really know the explanation herself.

As she decided she was finally going in, the door about and Jubilee walked straight into her. "Oh Rogue!" She said jumping on top of her and hugging her tightly. "You're up. Jese don't scare me like that again! Wait until I tell Kitty!" Rogue waved her hands from the ground and tried to get back her breath. Jubilee had knocked it out of her. "No…..Don't…tell…anyone…yet."

Bobby appeared behind Jubilee and looked down at Rogue in surprise. "Rogue? What are you doing on the floor?" Rogue looked at him in surprise. Fine! If he didn't want to help her up, she could get up herself. It actually took Jubilee's help to get her standing and her had on the wall to keep her there. So much for her independence.

"Jubs, don't tell anyone I'm out of bed yet. I want to talk to some people without the whole crowd following me." Jubilee looked at Bobby and then back at Rogue. "K. Guess I'll go down and find Peter. He and I had a date at the games room tonight." Rogue gave her a smile, that seemed quite empty. She tried again and showed a little teeth. "Thanks Jubs. You're the best." Jubilee shrugged. "You don't have to tell me that."

She glanced once more at Bobby who gave her a trace of a smile, then went off down the corridor singing to herself. Neither of them talked until she was completely gone. The silence went on for longer than Rogue expected and she started playing with her gloved fingers. "Bobby, I think I owe you an apology." Bobby's face was blank, emotionless. He was keeping his anger down.

"What for?" His voice wasn't as trained as his expression. She could hear the heat in it. "Well, I was hoping you could tell me." He cocked his head sideways and starred at her. His gaze was so demanding, but Rogue didn't look away. To do so would mean there was something she as ashamed of. And she wasn't.

"Bobby." Rogue said placing her hand on her hip. "Do care about me?" His eyebrows shot up at her question. "You even have to ask that?" "Well I just wanted to know, since you haven't asked me how I was feeling since I came. One would think after this morning's activities you would wonder how I was and if I was feeling strong enough to stand out in the hallway instead of inviting me in to sit in your bedroom. But then again that's just me."

He starred at her, surprised at how many words she could get into one sentence. Actually Rogue was feeling quite proud with herself. If only she was smart like that when she wasn't pissed. Bobby stepped back away from the door and she walked inside.

It looked the same as it had been when she had been there this morning. That seemed a pretty long time ago. My how time passes when your screaming at your class mates and entering other people's minds. Not to mention the whole going to sleep thing for a couple of hours. No. no. We can't forget that.

Bobby closed the door behind him, but didn't move further into the room. Fine. She sat on the bed and looked around her. "Did you come here straight away after you woke up?" Bobby said, his serious eyes on her again. She looked at him, her eyebrows close into the center of her forehead. "Yeah, why?" Bobby's face visibly lightened and he walked to sit beside her. "I thought you might have gone to find Storm's friend." Rogue turned her body so she could see all of him. Every movement was important.

"His name's Gambit, Bobby. And why would I have gone to him." Bobby shrugged and his concentration went to something on the far side of the room. "You looked kinda cozy in his arms today. Just thought you might have wanted to spend some time with him instead of with me." Rogue felt her face go hard, and he was looking away so he couldn't see it. Damn.

"I don't understand Bobby. You think I would have chosen the company of a man I hardly know, who is temporarily staying in the school and keeps on introducing himself as _"Remy LeBeau, but only to the ladies."_ Over you, my boyfriend of over a year, whom I love and care about?" She was being bitchy and she knew it.

Bobby shrugged again. Seemed to be his answer to everything. "Well can you honestly say you aren't attracted to him?" Rogue backed away across the bed. Any closer and she would have shoved her fist in his mouth. "I can't believe I'm hearing this." Bobby tried to move closer to her again, but she out a hand out to stop him. "Rogue, you've changed since he's come here." Rogue's mouth fell open. "Bobby he's been here for two days."

It seemed to Rogue, Bobby was having serious issue's. Maybe she wasn't the one who was the psycho-bitch in the relationship. "Why wouldn't you let me near you?" He said it quietly, but his expression was over-flowing with rage. Rogue's mouth closed and opened again. "This is about Gambit, isn't it." Way to state the obvious. "Are you jealous Bobby? Jealous that he could get near me without scaring me and you couldn't?"

Bobby's mouth was clenched closed and his fist were squeezing the covers in-between his fingers so tight that his knuckles were cracking. If it was anyone else, Rogue would have been intimidated, but this was Bobby. If he tried anything, his ass was so kicked. Rogue shook her head. "How could you be so self-centered. You were there. You saw how scared I was." Bobby burst in. "But you still let him near you. Still let him comfort you. That should be my job."

Rogue was infuriated, "Job? Your job? You think this relationship is a requirement Bobby?" Bobby shook his head. "Of coarse not Rogue. Now your just putting words into my mouth. Anyway, that isn't the topic on discussion. You let that asshole near you and not me. Does our relationship mean anything to you? Because it doesn't seem like it right now."

Rogue covered her face with her hands. This is exactly why the memories of Bobby hadn't helped to calm her down. He was spiteful and jealous. He knew exactly what to say to make her cry and he used that to his advantage in every argument. But she was not going to cry today. "Bobby you have no idea what your talking about. I was scared of everybody today, even Gambit," she added, before he could butt in. That story was getting old. " The only reason I allowed him near me was because he used his mutant powers on me."

Bobby's face feel. It was no longer angry and spiteful, but confused. "His power…." "Yes Bobby, his power. Empathy. He calmed my emotions and made sure people could get near me. That's why he got to touch me and not you. Unless you have a secondary power you haven't told me about. If you have you can use it the next time I start freakin' out." She stood up and turned her back to him. Being on the bed was a little too close for her.

"Rogue I'm sorry." She didn't answer. She was beyond emotions now. If Bobby wanted to keep his knee-caps intact, he'd had better stay away from her. "Rogue look at me please…" Nope. Not going to happen. "Look, I may have been wrong on this particular argument, but I am not wrong on your feelings for _him_." Rogue turned and looked at him.

"You son-of-a-bitch. One argument isn't good enough. You have to bring this one up." She shook her head with complete disbelief. "What about you Bobby? You seeing someone else? You and Jubilee seem to be getting pretty close. Having little midnight feasts with her in the kitchen last night, this morning when she came to borrow a _chemistry book._ Per-lease. Jubilee has never done her homework once in her life. And today, just before I came in here, she was here again. So where do you get off accusing me of liking Gambit. At least I'm not seeing him behind your back."

It had meant to be spiteful, not true, just spiteful. But the moment she saw his face she knew. "I right aren't I? You really are cheating on me." Bobby turned away from her. "Rogue I'm so-" She butt in, "I can't believe this. All the time I was sitting there trying to think of the best apology I could and you're in here with that bitch. I don't even want to think about what you've done with her."

"Nothing." Bobby said quickly. "Nothing I haven't done with you." "Gee Bobby, that makes me feel so much better," It came out sarcastic, but deep down she was relieved. Not that he needed to know that or anything. Bobby touched her shoulder. "Please Rogue-" That was more than she could take.

She felt her fist curl and her come in contact with his jaw. "Don't touch me. Don't fucking touch me." She was standing over him as he starred up at her from the floor. He was completely shocked, his hand holding his jaw. She starred down at him and thought. _'That's it. That's my last chance of anyone ever touching me ever again.'_

She was squeezing her fists over and over, trying so hard not to cry. But she couldn't stop it, and the first tear feel when she had her hand on the door. "Rogue.." Bobby said, still on the floor. "Fuck you," she whispered and fled.


	6. chapter 6

Chapter 6

Rogue felt as though she should have ran as far as Alaska. She should have run away from them all, every fucking one of them. Jubilee had been seeing her boyfriend behind her back. How could she have been so fucking stupid? She wanted to get away from it all, but her legs gave out beneath her before she could even get to the teachers corridor.

Lying on the floor she could see only the ceiling. That's how it had always been. Boxed in, shut away from the real life, kept in a fucking compartment labeled "DANGER! DO NOT TOUCH! POISONOUS!" Even since she came to the school, she felt like she was being held back from something. Something better than she had at the moment.

Maybe losing Bobby wasn't such a bad thing. He was always holding her down, reminding her exactly how tiresome she was to him. It had been wonderful and at the same time miserable, but he had been holding her back. She needed to start getting out more. Seeing the world more. Her watch told her it was 11:00pm. Wasn't this a good a time as any? Anyway, all she wanted to see was the stars.

She knew that if she could just see the stars tonight, she would be content until tomorrow. She would be able to sleep without cursing anyone she had ever known for holding her back in their own way. With a sudden spurt of energy she jumped up and ran for the fire escape on the far side of the building. It would lead her up to the roof and then she would be able to see them.

But she was stopped. Just as she had expected to be. Logan had caught her just outside the biology lab and was holding her against the wall, but she fought him like a wild cat and he had to hold her into him to stop her from scratching at him. "Let go of me. I just want to see them. Let go of me Logan." She squirmed under his grip, but his strength was too much.

She went limp in his arms and starred down at his shoes wondering if he could feel it if she stepped on his toes. "That's it kid, just calm down." She flinched at his nickname for her. Even Logan had been holding her back. She was eighteen and he was still calling her kid. A voice at the front of her head laughed at her. _"Would you rather he called us woman?"_

"Rogue talk to me. Tell me what's happening to you." Rogue laughed, a short harsh laugh. "What's happening to me? What's my problem? Pick one Logan. Cuz' right now there's too many for me to sort out at once." Rogue shook her head and covered her face with her hands. Logan took her hands away and smelt the air around her face. "Have you been crying?" He would just have to be able to smell tears wouldn't he?

"Why?" His eyes boar through her mind and she was reminded exactly why she had had him in her dreams nearly every night since she'd met him. "It doesn't matter anymore. It's finished." She shivered because she could feel the tears coming back. "Logan just let me go, I want to be alone."

"I don't think so kid. After this morning you're gonna have at least one person with you at the time."

"Did the Professor say that?" Rogue asked letting her anger vent through her voice. "No, but I'm going to talk to him about it." Rogue scowled at him. "I think it's for the best. Rogue I want to take care of you." Rogue couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about Logan. You don't even know how to take care of yourself." Logan looked at her surprised. "You travel round half the country looking for something to take your mind of your precious Jean, and you know what? She was never yours. No matter how much you wanted her to be, she would never even come near you."

Rogue couldn't stop herself. She had never told Logan what she had thought of him and Jean. Mostly because she was too hurt that he had never noticed her in the same way he noticed Jean. He didn't deserve this, not really. But the pressure of everything was clouding her mind, and the thoughts came out quicker than she could take them back.

Logan snarled and his grip tightened on her arms. "What happened between me and Jean is-" Rogue laughed and butted in. "Nothing happened Logan. Nothing ever happened. It was all in your fucking head." Logan's eyes were wild. "How could you say that?" Rogue's head cocked to one side. "What? The truth?"

Logan closed his eyes and kept his teeth shut while he talked. "It was more complicated than you know." Rogue opened her mouth to retort again, but he pulled her back from the wall and shoved her into it again. "Enough! That's enough." Rogue gasped at the pain he had caused her and fought the urge to cry out for help. She didn't need anyone at the moment. It was only Logan.

He breathed heavily, with his mouth opening and closing. If his claws came out now they would go right through her arm. "We have too much history together for me to stay angry at you, but I swear to God Rogue, if you ever talk about Jean and I like that again-" He looked up and her and he must have seen something in her face because he calmed almost instantly. "Just don't do it."

Rogue neither shook her head nor nodded. She just closed her eyes and waited for the pain to ease. She heard Logan sigh and felt the pressure on her arms slowly release. "I didn't want out fight with you. I wanted to see how you were after today." "Fine." She mumbled and brought her hands up to cover her arms where he had held her.

"You looked pretty frightened earlier. Do you remember?" Rogue nodded and rubbed her arms. "Who was the guy who calmed you down? Chuck told me he was a guest of Storm's, but I don't really know much about him." Rogue sighed, did it always have to come back to the Cajun? "I hardly know him Logan. I met him yesterday." He was playing the over-protective father-figure again. God she hated that.

"Oh." Logan watched her hands move up and down her arms with a pained face. She stopped quickly, not wanting him to see how much he had hurt her. "Look Logan I want to go have a shower or a bath or something. I just need to relax by myself for a while. So do you think you could leave me alone for a while?" She watched anger seep into his face, then it was replaced with a painful emotion. Rejection probably.

"There's something different about you Rogue." She starred at him blankly. "You were away for a year Logan. Times change. People change." He sniffed around her and looked annoyed. "O.K." She said stepping away from him. "I'm gonna go now. I'll see you around."

"I'm not sure I should be leaving you alone." He shouted down the hall after her. "I'm not sure I care." She shouted back.

Rogue got to her room and closed the door. It was now close to 11:30 and she could feel the sweet pull of sleep at the edges of her mind. She pulled off her top and walked to her toilet. She turned on the light and turned on the shower. She was one of the few students to have an en-suite bedroom, but it made life so much easier.

Light streamed across her bedroom and she sat down on the bed to take off her shoes. She was unbuttoning her jeans when she heard a familiar voice behind her. "Gambit would love to let the show go on a little further chere, but he knows that your mercy would not extend so far as to forgive dis Cajun for not stopping you before you bared your……assets."

Rogue turned to see Remy LeBeau sitting on her windowsill, just outside of the bathrooms light. His blood red eyes were reflecting the light. "You stupid Cajun. What the hell you doin' in my room?" Gambit slowly stood up so he wasn't against the wall. "Gambit promised he would see you tonight chere. Don't you remember?" Rogue stood and stepped back, widening the space between them.

"I remember, but did you have to sneak into my room and scare the pants off of me?" Gambit shrugged and suddenly that stupid grin was there again. "Remy LeBeau never goes back on a promise." And all of a sudden everything was there that hadn't been there before. The sound of the shower, the music she had put on when she had came in, and the very obvious knowledge that he was seeing her without a top.

She glared at him. "Well you can just leave because I'm going to have a shower." Remy shrugged and flopped gracefully onto the bed, if anyone could flop gracefully at all. He stretched out and placed his hands behind his head. "I can wait." Rogue shook her head. "No. You can't." She gazed down the length of his body and her eyebrows creased. He was wearing practically the same clothes he had been wearing yesterday, apart from the colour of the top which had changed from black to blood red.

Her attention was brought back to his face as he reminded her of the shower. "It's still running chere. Just like when you left it." Any witty comebacks that came back to her head were flattened by her lust for the man that was lying on her bed. She wanted to go to him, to hug him, to kiss him. It was all she could do to stay where she was.

Gambit smiled a softer smile and got gently off the bed. His steps were painfully slow and Rogue fought an urge to grab his coat and pull him towards her. He lifted his hand and passed it down the air beside her skin. It was almost as if she could feel his skin passing over hers. But that of coarse was impossible, since for the amount of time he'd been doing it, he would have been dead by now, or at the least unconscious.

Rogue closed he eyes and concentrated on the 'almost-touch' of his hand. She could feel his energy, rolling off him like gentle thunder. She smoothed her hands up his top and felt his muscles underneath the top. She sighed and pushed herself into him, gently trying to fold herself through his warmth. He continued his actions, but his hands were getting very close to her own skin.

"You said you wouldn't touch me unless I wanted you to." She whispered, opening her eyes to look up at him. He smiled. "Gambit has been true to his word. He has not touched you since he came." Rogue crossed her eyebrows. "But-" Remy shook his head. "Gambit hasn't not touched your skin chere, only your clothes." Ah. He wins on a technicality.

"Of coarse if you asked Remy now, it would not be considered polite if he did not oblige." Rogue raised her eyebrows. Did she want him to touch her? She was no longer tied to Bobby and no matter how much she wanted it, it didn't look like Wolverine would ever see her in that way. So what should she say? Remy placed his hand just under the air beneath her chin and she raised her head obediently to look at him. "Chere-"

But he was interrupted by Rogue's door opening and Logan coming in. "Rogue? You awake?" He caught sight of her and his face fell. "Shit!" Rogue pushed away from Remy and felt the heat rise up her face. Why was she always getting caught in the arms of the Cajun? At least with Bobby, she had had her shirt on.

Rogue crossed her arms trying to hide her breasts and looked around for her top embarrassingly. Funny how she hadn't minded when Gambit had seen her without it on, but now with Logan was just awkward. Remy kicked it up off the floor with his foot and handed it too her. She hid behind him while she put it on.

"Logan," She said breathlessly, coming into sight. "What are you doing here?" Logan's eyes were wild and his mouth was a set scowl. "I was coming to apologize. I thought you wanted to be alone?"

Rogue pushed her hair behind her ears and glanced at the shower. It was still running. "Yeah well," she said as she ran in to turn off the tap. "The visit was kind of unexpected."

Logan turned to look at her. "You mean you didn't ask him here?" Great thing to say. Now he's going to chop him up. Sure enough the claws in his hands came out as he turned back to the Cajun. "Wolverine, no!" She dashed in front of Remy and held out her hands. "Look just chill and put those things away." But Logan wasn't listening. He was starring at the man behind her.

No doubt Gambit was doing something to piss the wolf man off. Logan growled and stepped forward. Gambit pushed Rogue behind him and lifted one single card out of his pocket. Rogue actually took time to wonder what the hell he was going to do with an ace of spades. "Calm down Wolvie. Gambit wasn't doing anything Rogue didn't want him to." Rogue was actually surprised at how true that was. Damn him.

"You mean to tell me, that she wanted you to do that?" Logan growled. It was more like an animal than the last one. Not a good sign. "Do what Logan?" Rogue said from behind Gambit. "He wasn't doing anything." Logan snarled. "You had your top off." Rogue snorted. "And that is your business since when?"

Logan looked as if she'd hit him. He was finally realizing how old she actually was. "Yes Wolverine. I am a woman, whether you like it or not. I am over the legal age for sex and what I was doing in here with Gambit is technically none of your business. Since your not my father or my boyfriend." He blinked at her once and slowly his claws retracted.

"Well I guess you don't need me here." He looked at the Cajun once before he walked back to the door. Rogue felt her heart breaking with every step he took. He took one last look back at her and found her holding onto Gambit's arm from behind. Her head leaning against him and the full line of her body pressed into his side. "Goodnight Rogue." He closed the door.

Rogue starred at the door for a while, before Gambit turned and looked at her. "Remy thinks he just got caught up in something more important than him for once." Rogue laughed and felt one single tear fall down her face. Gambit bent down and kissed her tear. She looked up at him, desperate for something to take her mind off what just happened.

"You just broke the rules." She felt another tear fall down her other cheek. "Maybe for tonight, we break the rules. Mmm?" She stood starring up at him and felt the tears come down like waterfalls. "I think I loved him." she whispered. He folded her in his arms and whispered, "Remy know chere. Remy know." As he looked into her eyes Rogue just thought, _Who needs the stars when I have this._


	7. chapter 7

Chapter 6

__

Rogue please come to my office. Rogue woke up to the sound of the Professor's voice echoing through her mind. She groaned and pushed the covers off her face. "I'm coming now Professor." She got out of bed and stretched, arching her back and stretching her fingers straight. He looked at the shower and wondered if the Professor would wait until she cleaned for the day.

__

Actually Rogue, it's quite important. I wonder if you could wait to have your shower until after you see me. She sighed and pushed away thoughts of cleaning. She pulled on some black jeans and a green top that matched her eyes. She kept her hair off her face with a clip and then brushed her teeth. No matter how much of a rush Rogue was in, she always had to brush her teeth.

She yawned walking down the corridors, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Truth be told, she would much rather be cuddling up in bed, holding her wolf instead of getting up on a Saturday before 10:00am to see the Professor. Or maybe she would rather be holding someone else….._Rogue I wonder if you would come inside my office instead of standing outside the door._

Rogue blinked and focused on the office door in front of her. She blushed and pushed on the solid oak. Inside the circular room, Professor Xavier was behind his desk and in front of him was the two most important men in her life. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration.

"Logan." She nodded at the Canadian. "Bobby." She said slightly more coldly. "Rogue good of you to come. Please sit down." The Professor smiled at her. Bobby look slightly stricken. "Rogue?! Why are you here? I didn't know you'd be here. I swear! If I knew you'd be here I wouldn't have come." Rogue rolled her eyes. "Dry your eyes Bobby. I really don't care if you're here or not. It makes no difference to me."

She sat down and ignored Bobby's gaping mouth. "I'm here Professor. So what is it you want?" She smiled at Xavier and waited for his answer. "Yes, well. It has come to my attention that some things have happened in the school that should have been brought to me immediately, but weren't." He surveyed them closely for a second or two then went on. "These _things_ concern the three of you and also another. Gambit."

At once Bobby tensed and Logan arms went to the hand-rests of the uncomfortable chairs. Rogue frowned as the name reminded her about last night. Why wasn't he beside her when she woke up this morning? She had definitely fallen asleep in his arms last night because she had woke up feeling better than she had all week. She turned to Logan and wondered if she should ask him whether or not he went into her room last night and found her topless in Gambit's arms. Or had it all just been a dream?

"Still," the Professor said bringing Rogue out of her personal thoughts. "I'm sure we can get along quite fine without him. Now, first things first." he said turning to Bobby and Rogue. "I have heard that you two have cut off your relationship quite short. May I enquire as to why?" Rogue laughed and turned to Bobby.

"I guess Jubilee just couldn't keep the fact that she was going to have you as her boyfriend all to herself, huh?" Bobby turned, eyes blazing and opened his mouth to say something but then stopped. He settled for a quiet, "Jubilee hasn't told anyone." Rogue snorted in disbelief and turned back to the Professor.

"I'm completely fine with it. I shed a few tears for the loss, but nothing that could make a river. Of coarse Bobby might be feeling differently." Bobby made an annoyed sound as they all turned to look at him. "Well of coarse I'm a little more cut up about it since I don't have some tall dark Cajun idiot to go running to when things go bad!" Rogue felt like punching him again.

"So you think Gambit was the one that ruined your relationship?" Xavier asked. Rogue snapped back to Bobby and held her hand out to him. "Don't you dare answer that! Don't even think about it. The only reason Gambit is involved in this at all, is because you directed your jealous rage at him. Because you just figured that I couldn't just like you all by yourself, I had to be cheating on you with someone else. Of coarse, it turned out to be the other way round. But lets section off that topic as taboo, shall we?"

Bobby starred at her, his skin paling rapidly. For a second Rogue thought about taking his hand, making things alright between them. But what he had done was far beyond anything that she could have forgiven. Still there was an aching longing in her hands, so much so that she had to cross her fingers to stop herself reaching out for him.

"Well." The Professor said. "I must say Bobby. I would never have expected this type of behavior from you. Even with Rogue's mutation it always seemed that you two were getting along just fine. As for your accusations about Gambit. I must tell you Gambit is a thief and a liar and it would be well into his character to see Rogue as a challenge. But I doubt even he would have the skill to get past Rogue's mutation fast enough to take her away from you in a couple of days."

Rogue frowned at his recurring mention of her mutation, but smirked at Bobby as she knew this was the Professor's way of a scolding. Bobby sat hunched with his eyes on the floor like a child. "I didn't mean to." He whispered. "I-She just." He sighed and stood up. "Is that all you need me for Professor? I think I'd like to leave now."

"Actually Bobby, there's something else I'd like to talk to all of you about. It has to do with all of you, together." He motioned for Bobby to sit down then arched each of his fingers so they were touching each other, like a steeple. "Rogue I know that you have been having strange dreams where you have invaded Logan's subconscious." Rogue shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Logan, who gave her a look devoid of emotion.

"I do not understand why you didn't come to me in the first place Rogue. However, we have more important things to discuss. Like how this started. Rogue do you remember when you started having these dreams?" Rogue screwed her eyes in thought and glanced at Bobby. "It was the night that Gambit came. Definitely the first day I saw him." The Professor nodded and glanced at Logan thoughtfully. "And Logan, did anything special happen on the day that Rogue invaded your subconscious?"

Logan sighed and cracked his knuckles. "No, nothing special. Other than it was the first time I was going to get laid in about twenty days. Thanks to my exotic green eyes." Rogue blushed as she remembered what her thoughts had been in the Irish bar. Not good. Definitely not good. "Course I don't know if she would have taken me if I hadn't had Rogue inside my head. Never had much of a imagination before that."

"Logan." Rogue nearly screamed her face burning. "It's not like I meant to think like that. I was under the influence of alcohol."

"Yeah," Logan rolled his eyes. "Under the influence of a 4.5% sip of alcohol." Rogue felt like burying her head in the ground when she saw the Professors face. He was really fucking enjoying himself. "Was there a point to this topic of conversation or is this just to get laughs for yourself Professor?"

"Of coarse Rogue," he said, hiding his grin. "Well we've established there was nothing special in Logan's day. In the dream Rogue, what was it that caused you to wake up?" Rogue bit her lip trying to think. "Well I think it was when the- Er -waitress woman saw Logan's eyes and said how they were green. At the time, being in Logan's body, I thought my eyes were grey. Then when I realized they were green I think Logan took over and I knew where I was. It was all very confusing."

The Professor nodded sympathetically. "Yes of coarse. And you Logan? How did you come to recognize Rogue was in your body?" Logan sighed, bored and slouched a little in his chair. "When the red-head said about my eyes being green. I always remembered my eyes being grey, so that was the first clue. Then Rogue did this sorta scream in my head, that I took for her being in trouble, and then I knew what was happening." He shrugged and looked out the window.

"And then it happened again later on in the same night." They both nodded. Then Rogue turned to Logan. "I forgot to ask. Did I make you crash on the motorbike?" Logan smiled and a slight mischievous glint showed in his eyes. She couldn't help it, she smiled back. "And Rogue, has it happened with anyone else." Rogue shook her head. "I thought about it, but no. Although," She added thoughtfully. "The day in the classroom when Gambit- Er - _helped_ me, I could feel Logan, Bobby and Kitty's emotions."

The Professor's face lit up, "And that's why you were so afraid of everybody?" She nodded and looked at Wolverine. "It was kinda freaky to know what they were thinking. I didn't like it."

The Professor nodded. "Yes, I can sympathize with that." Rogue went distant for a second, remembering Bobby's thoughts and then shuddered. "And on the day I broke up with Bobby, I knew where the three of them were." "In the mansion?" The Professor said disbelieving. "Yes."

The Professor sighed and passed a hand over his face. "Rogue your powers are growing rather rapidly. I have no doubt that you will be able to control them with the right help form others, however I would like you to start new sessions in the danger-room." Rogue paled. "With Logan?" She said remembering how he always tired her close to exhaustion. Logan laughed beside her.

"Well Logan will be there most of the time, but these training sessions will be different from your last ones." Great even more vertical walls to climb up. "They will involve most of the teachers here at the institute and also, maybe some of the pupils." Rogue wasn't sure if she liked the sound of this. "It will mean you absorbing powers and training in how to use them." Rogue sat up and starred at him.

"You want me to absorb peoples powers intentionally without being in a battle. You want me to harm my friends." Logan started shouting straight away. "This is completely ridiculous. You can't make her do this. Rogue you don't have to do this." But the Professor simply held his hand up to silence Logan.

"Please Logan, I would like Rogue to make her own mind up. But I would like her to consider this. I know, and Magneto knows that she has the ability to become the most powerful mutant in the world. And I would never ask her to push her powers without a cause, but I believe that we are coming to an end with the struggle against Magneto and if Rogue could enhance her powers now, we would have a very great chance of beating my old friend. And saving the humans from his dictatorship."

Rogue sat stunned at his little speech. Well she had to do it now, obviously. He just practically dumped world salvation on her lap. She was about to nod and accept his offer when Bobby threw in his little bit of advice like she always knew he would. "Are you expecting pupils to just line up at your door and offer for Rogue to take their powers? Because remembering the brief periods of time that I was on the receiving end, I'd say there won't be many offers."

Rogue blushed and turned away from him to see Logan growling. "If they need a little persuasion," Logan said, his claws sliding out for effect. "I'm all up for it." The Professor laughed, quite nervously, and said. "No Logan, I think I would prefer for Storm and I to convince the chosen students of the importance of this task. That is if Rogue agrees." She'd already made up her mind, but really! Looking into his puppy-dog old man eyes and then the whole speech thing, how could she say no?

"If it's a good cause, I'm already there." She smiled weakly as she saw the Professor's face dawn with relief. "Good. I'll call you to my office in the next few days and arrange the times with you." She nodded as the excited old man shuffled the papers on his desk talking to himself. "Eh, Chuck?" Wolverine said standing up. "Mmmmm?" The Professor said not looking up. "Can we go now?" Professor Xavier looked up slightly distant. "Oh yes of coarse, leave." He smiled at Rogue and then went back to rummaging.

They all stood p and went towards the door. Bobby stopped a few yards short and turned to Rogue. "Er- Ladies first." She sneered at him as she went passed. Logan, who followed after Rogue directly regardless of the 'ladies first' comment, fell in-step beside her. After a short silence he said, "I don't want us fighting Rogue. I don't want us ever fighting." She smiled slightly at him. "We aren't fighting Logan. We're just having out first disagreement ever." He stopped her by putting out his hand. "Is it over?" She laughed and hugged him. "As far as I'm concerned, it never even started." He hugged her tight and said, "Good."

It was the way he was holding her that made her pull away first. It was something more intimate than friendship. Something he had never done before. "Logan are you O.K?" She still had his arms in her grasp, but it seemed he wanted her closer. "Yeah I'm fine kid. Right," He said after a short silence. "I gotta go see a man about a dog." He ruffled her hair slightly and then walked away. "Freaky." she murmured and turned towards the direction of the kitchens, rubbing her arms.

If she had wanted to debate with herself about what had just happened around two seconds before, she'd have to do it later. As just after she walked away from Logan, she walked into a ton of bricks that just happened to Jubilee.


	8. chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Rogue." Jubilee breathed taking a step back. She clasped her hands together and starred at the floor. Rogue's reaction was slower than her once good friends. Maybe it was the fact that it was the morning, or maybe it was because she was still thinking about Logan, but Rogue found that a confrontation with Jubilee was not the top of her to-do-list at this moment.

"Hey Jubilee." She decided keeping calm was the best way to approach this situation. If she just kept her uncontrollable urge to beat Jubilee to death with her bare fist controlled, then everything would be fine. Here's to hoping. "Hi," Jubilee said looking round nervously. Rogue wished she would just meet her eyes, at least then she could have a small amount of respect for her. "Er- Have you seen Bobby?" Jubilee never did catch on to the meaning of tact.

"Bobby?" Rogue echoed, her face blanking and her heart turning to ice. "Oh, you mean my ex-boyfriend who you were seeing behind my back?" Jubilee's face shot up and her eyes flashed with anger, but she looked back down at the floor again. "Yeah, I saw him a couple of minutes ago. In the Professor's office. Not that I'm keeping tabs on him anymore. That's your job now."

Jubilee was angry, Rogue could see it in her eyes when she looked up. _Good. I deserve at least that much from her.. _"Look Rogue, lets just by-pass all the bitching and get straight to the point. I'm not sorry that you and Bobby broke up and I'm not sorry we're together now. Shit happens, get over it." Her hand was on her hip and her stance was aggressive. _How could I have not seen how much of a bitch she was before just now? Just stupid I guess._

"How dare you!" Rogue hissed. "Bobby was the best thing that had happened to me since my powers came and you took him away from me." Jubilee laughed, harsh and loud. "From what I've heard since he left you, I never took him away from you. He had been wanting out of your pointless relationship for ages Rogue. He was tired of you and your stupid whining. He just didn't know how to get out of it without you crying all over him."

Well that was harsh. "First of all, Bobby didn't leave me. I dumped him after I found out about your little fling. Second of all, if all that shit you just said was true, than I'd be watching out. He's going to get tired of you to." Jubilee flicked her hair annoyed. "I don't think so Rogue. I can offer him way more than you can." Rogue snorted. "Oh yea, Like what?" But she already knew. _God don't say it. Please don't say it._ But being the type of person Jubilee was, an arrogant bitch, she just went ahead and said it.

"Touch Rogue. I can offer him touch. Something which everyone knows, you can't." Rogue felt the truth of it slap her in the face. The thing that she would never be able to give anyone, was the one thing that was going to stop her ever having a relationship. Ever and never was a very long time to go without the feel of human skin upon her own.

Rogue reminded herself of this every day, but she didn't need to take this kind of shit from Jubilee. "Not everything's about touch Jubilee." Rogue whispered sliding her glove off her hand. If Jubilee hadn't been sarcastically laughing and shouting, "Yeah right!" She would have noticed Rogue's hand reaching to touch her face. Funnily enough, she didn't.

Rogue could feel the vibration of Jubilee's energy just a second away from her finger-tips. But having the satisfaction of that bitch's body fall to her feet was stolen form her, by a gloved hand and a firm grip. "Bonjour chere." He said, brushing his lips against her knuckles. Everything Rogue was pissed about lost its hold and she found herself smiling at him.

To onlookers, it would seem that Rogue and Gambit were experiencing that moment that every couple has. When they look into each others eyes and smile, feeling that nothing else matters in the world but that other special person. But Rogue wasn't sure if they were an actual couple and that made her smile fade.

Gambit gave her back her hand, but with an expression of puzzlement. Rogue shook her head and looked down at the floor. "Hey. You must be that new guy right, Bobby was telling me about." Jubilee was never one to loose the role of center of attention. She help her hand out to Gambit.

He cocked his head to one side and considered her. "De Popsicle told you about Gambit? What'd he say?" Jubilee glanced at Rogue in confusion who just smirked and looked back at Gambit.

"Oh the Popsicle meaning Iceman." Jubilee said, with fake laughter. "Yeah I get it." There was a silence, where Rogue waited for Jubilee to start drooling over Gambit after the amount of time she was starring at him. Jubilee of coarse was the one who filled it. "I'm Jubilee by the way." She said, smiling and holding her hand out for the second time.

Gambit just smiled at her, eyebrows raised. It looked as if he wasn't going to take her hand and then, to Rogue's amusement, he lifted Rogue's instead. "Well," Jubilee said, wiping her hand on her trousers. "I'd better go find Bobby. I'll probably see you around Gambit." She smiled at him again before turning to look at Rogue. "Seeya." Rogue smirked at her and watched her power-walk down the hallway, away from them.

"Alone at last." Gambit said, bringing her attention back to him. "Yeah. Sure." Rogue said talking her hand out of his grasp. He laughed and shrugged. "One can only wish." Rogue shook her head at him and then remembered something. "Where were you this morning?" She put her hands on her hips and mirrored Jubilee's stance.

"Awwww." Gambit said, circling around her, smiling. "Did you miss Remy?" Rogue snorted and turned away from him. "My world does not revolve around you, swamp rat." There was a pause and then Rogue felt her hands wrap round her hips, just like she knew then would.

"Remy was not in your bed this morning because he did not want Cyclops to find me beside you." Rogue turned her head so she could almost look at him. "Why would Cyclops come into my bedroom?" Gambit shrugged and brought her shoulders with him. "Just incase." Rogue shook her head and sighed. "You are a compete mystery to me." But she smiled despite herself.

Gambit took her hand, raising her arm he twisted her away from him. "Come dancing with Remy, chere." Rogue laughed as she spun. "Me? Dancing? You have got to be kidding." He crossed her over to his other hand and spun her again. "The moment Remy saw you he wanted to take you dancing." Rogue seriously doubted that, but why question the mind of a Cajun?

"Well, what kind of dancing?" She asked as he spun her back into him. "Ah. The best kind of dancing." Rogue was about to shout at him for his riddles, but his hips swayed from side to side taking hers with him and she kind of got the idea. "Gambit!" She said blushing. He continued his movements and she thought of some R&B music that it would have gone great with it.

"Will you stop if I say yes?" She said, feeling a fresh rush of blood creeping up her face as he pushed harder. "Maybe." He whispered. "Or maybe Gambit is just having too good a time." _OK, now I'm just freaking out._ She pulled away from him and realized she could have got away any time she wanted. "So you'll come with Remy?" He said trying to turn her to face him, but she squirmed away from him. No way was he seeing her this embarrassed.

"Yeah, I'll come." She said, still hiding her face. "Bien. Gambit will come for you at eight. So you have a whole day to worry about what you're going to wear." Rogue nodded, hoping the colour would be gone before he went. Coarse no such luck. "Chere?" He said turning her round. She looked down at the floor and concentrated on getting the pale colour back on her face. _Think of something. A question. Something to ask him._ And the question that she'd been wanting to ask him for a while popped into her head. _"Are we going out with each other?"_

She really wanted to say it, but it felt so stupid. What if she asked him and he just laughed at her? Or what if he was just taking pity on her and helping her out? _It doesn't matter. I need to know._ She met his eyes and tried to find something in them. Tried to see if she could find the answer without asking him directly, but all she saw was black on red. Colours so beautiful, to her mind, so that as she starred she started to smile.

He smiled back, slightly amused and said something in French. Something he knew would be a private joke with himself, as she couldn't speak French. _Dammit._ "Gambit." She said slowly, thinking of the best way to phrase her question. "Chere." He said mocking her seriousness. "Are we- I mean. Is there-. Dammit." He smiled slightly and took her hand. "What is it Chere?" He kissed her knuckles and then her palm, he was working his way up her arm. "I- I need to know if-" He watched her as he reached her elbow. His eyes on hers, like a lion watching its prey.

"If we're-" He was two thirds of the way up her arm now. "Mmmmm?" She thought about telling him to stop, to let her get out her sentence. He kissed her neck and then finally her chin. "You were saying something chere?" His lips just above hers. _No-one can work like this._ "I've forgotten." She said starring up at him. "Forgotten?" He asked, touching her hair slightly. "If you've forgotten, den Remy thinks it must not have been very important."

"Mmmmm." She said. "Probably not." _Does he affect everybody this badly?_ "Good." He said and leaned in to kiss her, but stopped just above her lips. "Concentrate." He whispered before finally closing the gap between them. Her breath caught in her throat and she opened her mouth to give him entry. He gave her every piece of pleasure one can have in a kiss, and so much more. Too soon she felt he powers surface and she pushed him away from her.

He stood, leaning against the wall opposite catching his breath, while she opened her mind to his thoughts. There were so many French phrases and only a couple of English, but the ones she could understand were completely satisfactory to her. She laughed out loud as she found the thought she was looking for. According to Gambit they had been going out since the first day he saw her and their meeting at night had proved his point.

"Bien." She said and looked over at Remy who was looking slightly disheveled against the pale wall. "Gambit could definitely learn to love that kind of attention." Rogue laughed. "So could Rogue." She giggled at her speech. "Au Revoir, mon chardonnet. Until eight." She ran down the hallway away from him. How much fun was she having?


	9. chapter 9

Chapter 9

Gambit brought her to a nightclub called _Ethereal_. There had been a long line outside the club, but it seemed that Gambit had pretty good connections with the two bouncers outside, as all he did was smile and they let him pass. Gambit led Rogue through the dance floor to the other side of the club where there was a raised area with comfortable looking coaches on them.

He smiled at her and motioned for her slide to the inside of the coach against the wall while he took off his coat. Following his lead, Rogue removed her long hooded cloak and folded it over the back of the chair. When she turned back round Gambit was starring at her. "Chere." He said amazed. He shook his head and blinked twice.

Rogue giggled and slapped him on the arm blushing. "Non." He said taking her hand and raising it upwards making her stand. "Dis can't be _my_ Rogue." Rogue blushed even more, still grinning. He twirled her, so he could see her better. His hand lingering on her hips and her legs.

Rogue knew she looked amazing, so it hadn't come as a surprise to her when Gambit had reacted like this. She had deiced against trousers straight away when he had first invited her out. Instead she took out a leather skirt that clung to her ass and thighs. She had worried slightly on the bare legs issue, as she had wanted to wear fish net tights, but had admitted grudgingly to herself that not putting people in a coma was more important than looking good for Gambit.

But she had come through with a solution that had compromised with both problems. She wouldn't just wear one pair of fishnets, she'd wear two. So she had chosen two pairs of fishnets, one pair black, one pair red, and had been satisfied with the holes only ending up 3mm wide. Then came the top.

A long time ago, she realized that wearing the clothes of a normal American girl and wanting to go out to dance with her friends clashed. The clothes she had ended up wearing, in fear of having skin-to-skin contact with anybody, had made her look like a bag-lady, and had severely damaged her self-esteem. Mainly because people would point and laugh at her when she went into clubs. So for a while she would sit in the mansion while the seniors, her friends, would go out and have a good time while she would stay and play chess with Paul. The kid always beat her.

Then a new student came to the school, who introduced her to the world of Goths. Their wide range of clothing made it easy for Rogue to wear any type of clothing she wanted, as long as she wore a fishnet top over it, with the holes being no bigger than 2mm. Bobby hadn't been thrilled at her complete change in style at first, but then the first night she went out with him, after her time as a nun, and he had seen what she had been able to wear he had never complained again. _Stupid Pervert._

So Rogue was wearing a sleeveless black corset that was decorated with white roses and a black fishnet top over it. It was practically non-existent. But it did enable her to move through large groups of people without hurting anybody. She was wearing tall black boots, that went over her knees and black biker gloves that had no holes on the end. Compliments of Tara. The vampire who had saved her social life.

So she let Gambit stare at the skirt who clung in all the right places, or run his hand down her arm whistling in amazement as his thoughts stayed his own. And she glowed as her ego grew and blushed as his eyes held all the fire of desire they could ever have. She was getting better at reading him.

When he finally let her sit down he kept smiling to himself and shaking his head. When she finally told him to stop he just kissed her and commented on how he had created a monster. They talked about the school and the people in it. And different normal things, like movies and books which interested them both. And by the time Gambit had excused himself to go to the toilet, Rogue had already had two drinks and was content with at least some things in common with her……_gasp……boyfriend!_

She watched other kids her age dancing and having fun, while they hugged their girl/boyfriends to them and glowing with the good time they were having. Or just glowing because they'd consumed too much alcohol. Not being a very big romanticist, Rogue was betting on the latter. While she was looking over the dance floor someone sat down beside her and slid his arm along her shoulders.

She looked round smiling, expecting it to be Gambit, but found a boy a little older than her with dyed blue hair checking her out. Being that close, Rogue was pretty sure he was enjoying it. "Hey." He said smiling, showing white teeth. "Can I buy you a drink?" She raised her eyebrows at his boldness and picked up her already full glass. "Already got one thanks." He just smiled and shrugged, watching her take small sips of it.

She put it back on the table and turned back to stare at his arm, which was still around her shoulders. He laughed and slid it slowly away from her. Taking his time, making sure he touched as big a surface area as possible. She shuddered and then glared at him when he noticed. She looked around for Gambit, breathing slowly as a powerful urge to smack the cocky bastard beside her threatened to surface.

When she turned back round he was leaned with his hand on the table and had ordered a drink for himself. "Would you like a taste?" He said, holding forward the pink liquid. "It's called Pink Orgasm." Rogue looked at him in disgust and shook her head. "No I'm good thanks." She sighed and started to explain to him that she just wasn't fucking interested when she felt his hand sliding in between her legs.

Her mouth opened slightly in shock and she lifted her hand to get him the hell away from her, but he grabbed it and then leaned in to kiss her. She squirmed away from him, straining to keep his skin form touching hers, resisting the urge to just drain him dry, when suddenly his hand was no longer up her skirt, and his skin was nowhere near hers.

She looked around to find the boy pressed against the wall beside the sofa, his feet a foot above ground level and his face turning red from restriction of air from his lungs because of Gambits hand wrapped around his neck. "Apologize." Gambit growled, pushing the boy further into the wall. "Sorry." The boy managed to squeeze out, without any air to do so. "To her." Gambit said, jerking him round to face an astonished Rogue.

"Really……Sorry." He whispered, clawing at Gambit's hand. Rogue managed to look unfazed by the whole thing. "I suppose I could accept your apology, this time." She smiled at the boy and then nodded to Gambit, who gave him a last disgusted look and then dropped him. He quickly crawled over to his friends, who had been hovering behind Gambit, unable to summon enough courage to attack the raging Cajun to save their friend.

Gambit sat down beside Rogue who moved away from him as he placed his arm around her. "What?" He said confused. "My knight in shining amour returns." She said bringing the back of her hand to her forehead. He shrugged and took a swig of his drink. "Remy didn't like de way he was touching you. Or where he was touching you for dat matter." Rogue blushed and then inclined her head towards the trembling boy sitting at the bar with his 'friends.'

"You didn't have to go as far as to strangle him." Gambit laughed and reached out to touch her hair. "Remy didn't strangle him chere, just scarred him a little." "Yeah," She said, keeping her head out of his reach. "By cutting off the circulation to his brain." Gambit grinned at her and cocked his head to one side. "Is Roguey worried about blue-boy? Cuz Remy can go and get him for you if you want." Rogue grunted and drank some of her drink.

"Look Rogue." He said, sliding over on the couch so he was touching her. "Remy thought he was hurting you. He didn't think you would want his hand up your skirt. Maybe he was mistaken." Rogue turned to him, stunned. "I didn't want him touching me like that." And just like that, he was the victim and she was the one who was evil. "Damn you." She said, pushing him slightly. He laughed and took her hand. "Come on. Gambit gonna show you how to dance." She followed him, taking one last drink, onto the dance floor.

Rogue thought it might have been a scene like that out of 'Save the last dance', where the girl had no actual clue what to do and she practically knocked the boy out when she head butted him. But it was nothing so complicated. All she had to do was hold onto Gambit as he swayed, and they would be dancing.

Apart from the absolute mindlessness of the whole thing, Rogue was really enjoying herself. When the fast songs came on she would laugh and when Gambit spun her, she would throw her hands up into the air. Then a slow song would come on and she would hold onto her boyfriend as he would guide her hips and kiss her neck. Which was covered in a scarf, but Rogue found she favored this particular thing that Gambit would do above all else. And he did do quite a bit.

The dances went on and Rogue felt exhilarated. She felt like she could dance for hours more and sudden thoughts would pop into her head. Mostly about her and Gambit. But then she caught herself trying to take off her gloves, thinking she didn't need this much clothing on at once. She needed to touch Gambit with her skin. That's when she decided to take a break.

"I need to go sit down." She shouted into Gambit's ear as another song came on. He smiled at her and shouted, "Tired already, chere?" But he lead her across the floor anyway. During the dances, they had somehow made their way into the middle of the floor, which meant it was going to take some time before they made their way back to their seats. But about halfway there a rave song came on and everyone started to jump up and down ecstatically.

Caught between two men, Rogue felt Gambit's grip loosen and she tried to hold on harder but a hand came between them and she lost Gambit to the crowd. She tried to make her way forward, to get to Gambit, but she kept on getting pushed back. This wasn't helping her much, since she had just developed major dizziness and couldn't focus on anything properly. She was stumbling backwards when she felt strong arms catch her and guide her away from the roughest part on the floor.

When she was finally able to stand again, she heard a voice in her ear. "Rogue are you O.K?" It definitely wasn't Gambit. No French sounding words in there. But there was something familiar to the accent, something Rogue should remember. She turned on focused on the face before her. When the blurriness had gone away, and she had let go of the persons arm, she finally recognized him.

"John." She gasped, trying to keep focused. He smiled at her and laughed at her surprise. "In the flesh." Her one time friend was standing in front of her, steadying her with one arm out and looking really, really good. _And I mean scrumptious._


	10. chapter 10

Chapter 10

"John." She gasped, trying to keep focused. "What are you doing here?" The dizziness in her head was increasing and it was causing blurriness in her eyes. But seeing John for the first time in ages made her forget the danger and focus all her attention on her friend. If she could still call him that.

The fire-maniac was smiling at her warmly and holding her steady with one arm. "I'm just here with a couple of friends. Hanging out and stuff. Are you here with Bobby?" Rogue laughed so hard that she practically fell into his arms, which she noticed in her delirious state, wasn't that bad a place to be.

"Oh, forget Bobby." She said waving her hands to dismiss the idea. "I dumped him. Would you believe he was cheating on me? With Jubilee. Asshole." John stared with astonishment. "You broke up with Bobby?" Rogue glared at him. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

He held his hands up, looking really amused. "Let's get off this topic shall we. I can see this is a touchy subject for you." He grinned at her and shook his head. "You've changed." He said looked slightly puzzled. And when I say puzzled I mean slightly perplexed but still grinning like a hyena.

"Yeah. Well." Rogue said looking down at her clothes. "The whole dressing like a bag lady never really did anything for me. So I decided it was time for a change." John laughed again and shook his head. "No, it's not just the clothes. Though I can't say I'm complaining." He said, sliding his hands down to her hips and gaping at what she was wearing.

"Same to you." She said, taking in his own clothes. He looked so different. When he was still living in the mansion he had always had his own……unique style that would have some people remarking about how unfashionable he was. But he never seemed to care. As long as no one thought he was some sort of spice-boy he was fine. But what he was wearing now completely contradicted that.

His trousers were dark and slightly tight around the ass so every girl he passed could get a look at it. Not that his ass wasn't nice to look at, it just came as a surprise to Rogue. You'd never see him wearing anything like this in front of the girls back home. His boots wear black with metal plating and buckles. He had spray painted, little red and yellow flames along the side.

His top was black fish net, showing off his tanned chest and muscles that Rogue hadn't realized he had. Infact his arms were much bulkier than Rogue could remember, but the best part was the leather jacket that he wore. It just gave him the look of a bad-ass. You know the kind. If you saw him walking down the street, you'd rather jump into a bin than risk a confrontation with him. Altogether Rogue was impressed. And she couldn't help but notice how, when he laughed, she would feel warmed right down to her toes. Not a bad feeling.

"God," Rogue said arching her eyebrows slightly. "Being with Magneto must of done you some kind of good." John's eyes darkened for a moment when she said Magneto. Maybe being with the master of metal wasn't such a good thing after all. "Well lets just say that life with Magneto isn't what you think expect it to be." He looked away from her and Rogue had to use two hands to turn him to face her again.

"Hey." She said, quietly so only he would hear. "Why don't you come home? Xavier would take you back." John closed his eyes and Rogue felt slight distress emitting from him. She frowned at the negative feelings he was having. If only she could stop them. "I can't Rogue." He said without opening his eyes. Rogue frowned again as his distress got stronger.

"John look at me." She commanded. He opened his eyes very slowly and Rogue couldn't help but think how intimate this was, from their closeness and their complete eye-contact. "Come home." John starred at her, frozen as if she'd bit him. Then all of a sudden he wasn't distressed anymore. He was angry.

He pushed her away from him so hard that she stumbled and feel. Her head felt like it was bouncing of walls with dizziness. "John." She said, calling out to him, but he wasn't listening to her. "God Dammit!" He was shouting, but she couldn't see anything. Only hear him. "I thought this would be easy. I thought I could just come in here and forget about everything. Why can't I just do what I'm told to."

As she struggled to regain her sight, Rogue felt hands lift her up roughly and shake her. "Look at me." He said, his anger was amazing. "I can't!" She shouted, putting her hands on his chest to steady herself. "I can't see!"

"What are you talking about?" He said. His voice was calming. "I-I can't see anything." Rogue said, fear gripping her and making her voice quiver. John said nothing for a few seconds and then mumbled something about "too much". Rogue felt like her energy was being stripped away. If John hadn't been holding her against him she would have fallen to the ground by now.

"John." She whispered. Frightened at whatever was happening to her. "Rogue! Jesus, that idiot! I told him only ten units." But something was happening to her. John's feelings were getting stronger. He was distressed and frustrated at the same time. It was as if she was seeing inside him, instead of seeing everything else around her.

His feelings were so strong, that Rogue could almost touch them. "Almost." She whispered and leaned further into him, physically and mentally. She pulled out his emotions and sucked out the energy he was getting from them. The rush that kept his anger going was now flowing through her, running through her veins. But it wasn't just that. His energy, his physical energy was being absorbed as well. That's when Rogue opened her eyes.

"John." She gasped, pushing him away from her. While she had absorbed his feelings, she had touched him taking his energy as well. He fell to the ground coughing and gasping for air at the same time. She dropped beside him and held his hand in her own gloved one. He smiled at her weakly and said, "You kissed me."

Rogue opened her mouth to deny it, but them memories of it came back to her. She had been so wrapped up in the metaphysical shit that she hadn't even noticed what she was doing physically. She blushed and smiled at him. "You're a good kisser." She commented, trying not to show her distress that she had absorbed him again. "You too." He said so quietly that she had to lean in to hear him.

She helped him sit up and held him into her as people crowded round them. "He's alright. He's fine. Go away." She said, trying to disperse them. This just amused the hell out of John. He laughed weakly and then looked at something over Rogue's shoulder. He looked so frightened that Rogue turned to see what it was, but John pulled her back to face him.

"Rogue listen to me carefully." Rogue gasped at the pressure he was applying to her arms, but he didn't stop. "Remember earlier when you were feeling so lousy? That was because one of Magneto's guys spiked your drink." Rogue started to swear, but John covered her mouth with his hand. "Just listen. Magneto's after you. Search through my thoughts you absorbed, find out what's going on." He smiled at her sadly and pushed some of her hair out of her face.

"I've missed you so much." He whispered. He stayed starring at her for a few seconds then dropped his hand away from her mouth. "Find Gambit and go. Magneto will waste no expense in finding you." Rogue's eyes widened. She'd forgotten about Gambit. They'd got separated and she'd just completely forgotten about him.

She turned to get up but John caught her arm to stop her. "I can't fight you. But they'll be suspicious if I don't. Use your powers and knock me out." Rogue snarled at him and pushed him away from her. "Why should I help you?" John's face paled and he closed his eyes. "Please. If you don't they'll-they'll punish me." He opened his eyes again and pleaded with her. "I'm begging you Rogue. Do this one thing for me and I'll never forget it."

It wasn't his pathetic plea. It was his eyes that made her do it. He looked so sacred. But he could never know about that. She knelt beside him and studied his face, memorizing her enemy. "The only reason I'm doing this is because I know it's not gonna be pleasant. And it's gonna hurt like hell." He nodded and closed his eyes waiting for her to touch him.

She moved to take off her glove and then saw the look on his face. He was waiting for her, but he was cringing. Waiting for the pain. It made her sad that all she could give him was pain, but even some pain can be pleasurable. She leaned in and kissed him. Her hand at the back off his neck, pulling him closer to her. It took him a second to react, but he soon had his arms round her waist and was kissing her back.

Rogue nearly enjoyed it. _Nearly_. But the feel off his body go lifeless in her arms and drop to the ground destroyed it for her. She stood up and turned to walk away but as an after thought took his lighter out of his pocket. Memories weren't the only thing her powers could give her.

She snapped it open and lit a flame, grinning as she did so. Rogue could definitely see why the pyromaniac always looked like he was having fun when he did this. And while she was staring at the ball of flame she'd created, a body flew past her and hit a wall.

Rogue sighed, unperturbed as the man cried out in pain as his arm snapped. _On to the fight._ She thought. And then grinned in a maniac kind of way when she thought of the kind of things she could burn. Chairs, tables, _people._


	11. chapter 11

Chapter 11

_The fire was consuming her. Overwhelming her with its intense energy. Overriding her sense of control. Its irresistible power of destruction ate at her from the inside, slowly working its way out. Its breathtaking colours burned up everything around her and she never felt the need to stop. It ruled her mind, dominated her thoughts. She crushed the material things around her, creating her own hell. She could feel nothing and was nothing without it………_

Rogue woke to the spray of rain on her face. "Rogue! Open your eyes!". She opened them slowly; afraid of what she might see. She recoiled in horror as the full scene of destruction unveiled itself before her.

The club was in pieces. Broken pieces of furniture were everywhere, covering the floor with splinters of wood and pieces of metal. The bar had pieces of glass all over it and random bottles of vodka and alcohol could be seen over the club. The dance floor was a mess. The black tiles had been ripped off the floor in chunks, revealing the cemented concrete underneath. The fabric that had covered the walls was now ripped and shredded into little pieces covering some of the debris. There was a massive hole in the roof which Rogue could see Storm through casting down rain and soaking Rogue. White cushion stuffing could be seen speckled every now and again. Of all these things, the scorch marks were the worse.

They covered the walls and floors, leaving scorch marks and charring fabric. She regarded them with horror and at the same time delight, knowing she had caused them and knowing they were because of her. If she had time to mentally hit herself over the head she would have, but Storm chose that time to drop down in front of her fully suited in her Xmen uniform and cape. "Rogue! Are you alright?" She placed her hands on her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes.

Rogue wondered why she was being so kind to her. She did, after all, practically burn down a club. "Did I do this?" Rogue said, whispering because the answer scared her. Storm shook her head. "Professor Xavier said that this was not entirely your fault. That John's powers were overwhelming you and that they were uncontrollable."

Rogue shook her head. "It wasn't _entirely_ my fault? That means I still had a hand in it." Storm sighed and said, "The Professor said that you cannot be held completely responsible for your actions. But he still wants to talk to you." Rogue frowned. "He only wants to talk to me? Shouldn't there be some kind of punishment for this kind of thing?" Storm smiled and stood up.

"Wait!" Rogue shouted, as something occurred to her. She gripped Storm's hand and used it to pull herself up with. "Did I hurt anyone? Did anyone get hurt?" Storm tried to recover her hand, but Rogue held on. "Please calm down Rogue. You didn't hurt anyone." Rogue sighed with relief, but then made another grab at Storm as she turned to go. "What about Gambit? Is he alright?"

Something passed over Storm's face as she turned back to Rogue, practically spilling it out to the young Southerner. "Oh no!" Rogue whispered stepping back. "What's happened to him? Was it one of Magneto's lackey's? I'll kill them" Rogue visualized herself firing nails into blue-boys face. "Calm down Rogue!" Her teacher said, shaking her slightly. Rogue blinked out of the vision and watched Storm pass a hand over her face.

"Gambit has been hurt, but it wasn't one of Magneto's men." Rogue stared at her and raised an eyebrow. "O.K. Then who was it?" Storm's mouth twitched and she took a deep breath. "It was Logan." Rogue was completely taken back. _Logan wouldn't………he couldn't………_But no matter how much she tried to convince herself, Rogue could picture Logan very clearly jumping on Gambit for no apparent reason.

She groaned and covered her face with her hands. Almost embarrassed for Logan, but way more worried for Remy. "That's not exactly all the bad news I'm bringing you." Rogue looked up at her, terrified at what she'd say next. "When he found out that you were in danger, he took off on Scott's motorbike, as he has a habit of doing, muttering something about Gumbo. Apparently, when he arrived here he found that Gambit was the only one left standing, which you understand Logan found very suspicious. So thinking that he had set up the whole thing, Logan attacked him, causing Gambit to drop you, who he was carrying at that moment in time, to defend himself."

Rogue felt a bump on her side and frowned. _Stupid Logan. Now I'm gonna have this for days._ "Anyway," Storm continued. "Logan managed to pin Gambit and was about to perform Heart-surgery Logan style when Gambit managed to blow up the ceiling, which fell on top of Logan." They both looked up at the destroyed ceiling and Rogue whistled.

"How'd he do that?" Storm looked at her critically. "You're going out with him and you don't even know his mutant power?" Rogue squirmed and protested. "I know one of them. And I know he can see in the dark! I just forgot to ask what the other one was. Can you tell me?" Storm smiled at her and said, "Gambit uses the potential energy in an object and turns it into kinetic energy."

Rogue nodded, trying to look intelligent but not understanding a word of it. "Uh-huh. And what are the cards for?" Storm rolled her eyes. "Apart from being a complete card-shark, they are his favourite weapon." Rogue remembered the way he had held the card when Logan had threatened him in her room before. But the whole kinetic and potential energy thing through her.

"The good news is that they are both awake." Rogue smiled in relief. "Bad news is, they both want to see you." Rogue frowned and thought to which she should go to first. "Before you make your decision Rogue, I would think very carefully. Neither like to be kept waking, but you have known Logan a lot longer than you have known Gambit."

Rogue nodded sighing. "Alright, where is he?" Storm let out a breath in relief. Apparently she had been afraid that Rogue was going to pick Gambit first. Like she would ever purposely send Logan into a spitting fit! "They're both back at the school. We'll leave just as soon as Scott is finished with the Press. You've really caused quite an uproar you know."

Rogue shrugged. "At least no-one got hurt." Then she corrected herself. "Well, no-one of great importance to me anyway." As Storm laughed and walked towards the exit, Rogue looked round at the large room again and felt the food she'd eat early push up her throat.

_She had done all this. She had burnt all these things and put all these people in danger. She thought of John and how he had to live with those kinds of thoughts going through his head all the time. How he coped with be a Pyromaniac every single day. She thought of the pleasure she had taken in chasing blue-boy with a dragon-shaped flame. She thought of how she had enjoyed it. And how, at the smallest and most discrete part of her mind, she hoped that on day she could do it again._

Mentally locking away that little secret, Rogue gripped John's lighter and followed Storm.

Logan was furious. He had been sent to his room! Like he was a child, like one of the students at the school. All he had done to the Cajun was ruff him up a little. It's not like he was going to kill him or anything. If he did, Storm would have been angry at him. Logan had made a note never to piss that woman off again after she had created a twister and sucked him up into it. _And they say red-heads are the ones with short tempers. Yeah right._

He paced the room from one end to another, thinking about Rogue. Was she O.K? Last time he saw her she was unconscious on the floor looking like a pretty little mess. She wasn't as bad as the club she went to. What was it called? Feather or something? Anyway the inside was ruined. Not to mention what happened when he had got there.

Logan let out a little chuckle as he remembered all the damage he had caused, trying to kill-er-catch the Cajun. Not to mention the damage the kid did. Logan had to hand it to him. Collapsing the ceiling on him was a pretty ingenious of him. Not that that mattered. What mattered was Logan had got a pretty big chunk out of him before he had slowed him down enough for the X-geeks to get here.

All that said however, Logan didn't think it was right of Charles to send him to his room. What was even worse was the fact that Logan had obeyed the orders of a fifty-something year old man who's in a wheel-chair and has delusional hopes of mutants and humans living in perfect harmony.

Disgusted by his own actions, Logan nearly hoped over to the window and opened it, intending to climb out secretly. But maturity struck him and he realized, as an adult, he was able to just walk out the door. He stomped over to the door and swung it open viciously only to find Rogue at his door.

"Logan." She said in surprise. "How'd you know I was out here?" He grumbled something abut being psychic and ushered her inside. "Are you hurt?" He said, raising her arm to see if she winced. "No," She said snatched her arm back, giving him a very nasty look. "Apart from a bump on my side from when you made Gambit drop me."

He scratched his head and looked away from her. "Yeah well. The important thing is that you have no major chunks out of you." She snorted and said. "Unfortunately I can't say the same thing for Gambit." "About that," he said, motioning for her to sit on the bed. "I don't know what to say. When I saw what he had done to the club and you lying on the floor-"

"I did it." She said cutting him off. He starred at her, not sure what to think. "What did you say?" She gave him a withering look and said, "_I_ destroyed the club." He gaped at her. "But how did you- You couldn't have- You haven't got the power." He spluttered and Rogue wondered how much annoyance it would cause him knowing that 'the kid' had done it. "You remember John? You met him last time you came back." Logan nodded, "The kid who ran off with Magneto." "Yeah him. Anyway, I ran into him at the club." She said offhandedly.

She glanced at him and found him starring at her again. "Close your mouth Logan, you'll catch flies." He shut it and then frowned at her. That's the second time tonight he had obeyed someone else's orders. The Xmen were rubbing off on him. "So," he said sitting down beside her. "You stole the kid's powers?" She nodded. "And then what? You thought it would be fun if you burned the whole club down?"

She frowned at him. "It was more complicated than that." "Really?" Logan said sarcastically. "And when did it become a good time to got to a club _underage_ and drink _underage_?"(Legal age for drinking in America is 21 isn't it? Sorry if I got it wrong. I'm a little rusty on the whole American legal system. Even though it's compulsory for my GCSEs). She shrugged "It's what kids do Logan. I 'm not going to act like a nun until I'm at the legal age."

"Anyway," She said annoyed that this had turned into a Rogue bashing session. "About Remy." He frowned and rolled his eyes. "It may seem annoying to you Logan but it's important to me. You've just beat the shit out of my boyfriend and I want to know if it's gonna happen again?" He sighed, frustrated about the never-ending topic of _Remy_.

"I'll try not to beat up your- Wait, he's your boyfriend?" Rogue quirked an eyebrow at him. "He was in my room, seeing me with only trousers and a bra on. What do you think he is? My brother?" It was true that he hadn't actually been her boyfriend at that particular time, but hey. Who's looking at the smaller details?

He sighed and took a cigar out of his coat pocket. Automatically Rogue held up John's lighter for him. "Thanks" He said automatically taking it and lighting his cigar with it, but then something occurred to him. "You smoke as well?" He exploded. "Jesus Logan! What the hell is the matter with you?" She snapped, snatching back her lighter.

"Suddenly I'm like Satan's spawn." She got up and walked towards the door, but he caught her before she could open it. "Look Rogue. I was away for a really long time. And I missed a major part of your life, but I'm learning. So give me a chance to catch up will ya?" She smiled at him, surprised at how easy it was to control him. "Sure Logan."

He relaxed visibly and let go of her arm. "Are you hungry? Do you want to get something to eat?" She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for the offer, but I got go see Remy. You beat him up pretty bad you know." He shifted uncomfortable and opened his mouth to say, what Rogue guessed, was he was sorry. But before he could Professor Xavier's voice echoed through both their minds. "Xmen, come to my office."

Rogue beamed at his invitation. "Did you hear that, he called us Xmen." She said as they walked down the hall. Logan grunted. "Yeah isn't it wonderful to be part of the team."


	12. chapter 12

Chapter 12

Rogue picked at her fishnet tights as the Professor droned on about the fight at the club. She made a face, thinking about how long she had had those clothes on and rolled her neck longing for her bed. "Rogue I am aware that you are tired, but we need to go through these details to make sure we know what we're up against."

Rogue snapped round to face the Professor, a faint blush appearing along her cheeks. "Sorry Professor. It's just we've been through this a million times." He sighed sympathetically and nodded. "Yes, but we must make sure we know everything if we are to go into battle against a powerful enemy like Magneto. Now please think hard on the mutants you came up against."

Rogue shifted the heavy helmet on her head and thought on the creeps that had attacked her and Gambit earlier that night. Large holographic images appeared in front of her as she knelt beside the Cerebro control panel. Rushed memories came and went as the Professor sifter through them. And then a large picture of John came up, pleading with her to save him.

Rogue pushed away that memory, opting for the image of him lying on the ground. Afraid of what the Professor might see. Although she could have sworn she could feel the Professor laughing in some pocket of her mind.

The memory came of her stealing John's lighter and then the man flying beside her head. She turned and saw her first appointment. A boy about her age starring at her, grinning from ear to ear. "So you're the Rogue, huh? You don't look that tuff. Let's see if you can handle The Avalanche."

His voice came out ghostly and weak. The time behind the actions. It was like watching a bad satellite connection. _Why is that?_ She asked the Professor, as the computer ran a search on 'The Avalanche'. _I believe it is because you have not had enough time to sort through John's memories and your own. Your thoughts are quite bundled._

_Oh._ A half robot/half feminine voice echoed through the room identifying the mutant the mutant as a kid called Lance. Apparently he was able to create Earthquakes and knock down pretty much anything he likes. _Cool power._ Rogue thought, picturing a mountain cracking in half. _Yes. And very dangerous to anyone who gets in his way._

The Professor dry voice sounded through her head, condescending as always. _Yeah._ Rogue said blushing. _That too._ She watched as she threw the boy over her shoulder and sent him flying into the bar, sending a ball of fire after him. Rogue laughed, pleased with her actions and surprised at her own strength.

_Next_. The Professor said, with that condescending voice again. But Rogue could tell he was slightly amused. A different mutant appeared in the screen, wearing a silver and blue outfit which matched perfectly his silver hair. He was laughing another mutant who had just been thrown onto a table. Not paying attention to Rogue.

_Perfect._ She thought, which was echoed by her past thoughts that sounded round the room. Freaking her out a little, but leaving her in no doubt what she had done.

She opened the lighter and sent a large spear of fire in his direction. But it hit nothing but the wall on the other side. Her vision looked around angrily and felt someone tap on her shoulder. Without much plan, she sent another spear of fire behind her, but was disappointed when it yet again hit nothing.

"You're gonna have to be a nit faster than that if you wanna catch me, girlie." She spun around again to find the mutant standing on one half of the broken table in front of her. She growled at him and sent smaller balls of fire at him, but he just dodged them.

"Still to slow babe." He said too her, whizzing past her head. She sent fire ball after fire ball, determined to stop his endless cackle. But just as she was getting dizzy. Suddenly there was a yelp from behind her and she spun to meet her challenger. Only to find a pair of black on red eyes starring at her.

The present Rogue and the past, both smiled at seeing him again. But all he returned was a cold stare. Both Rogue's frowned and opened their mouths to ask what was going on, but a different image flashed up showing yet another mutant. _We will find out that afterwards Rogue. Please concentrate on the matter on hand._

After that they searched through her mind in silence finding three more of Magneto's mutants which amounted to four altogether, Pyro, Avalanche, and Quicksilver. All boys of around Rogue's age. But there was a girl. A pretty powerful one at that, who seemed to take particular offence when Quicksilver was knocked out of the fight.

She was Rogue's last memory and seemed to be the one who finally took her down. Much to the present Rogue's annoyance. She took off the helmet thing, and frowned at the Professor. We didn't even get her name. "That's quite alright." He said, rubbing his temples. "I know it."

Feeling the need for revenge Rogue asked, "What is it?" He looked up and raised an eyebrow at her. An expression that had been directed at her so many times, she didn't feel ashamed of herself anymore. "Her name is 'The Scarlet Witch." Rogue sniggered. "What kind of a stupid name is that?"

Rogue could see the Professor's eyebrow move slightly, but he seemed to get hat it didn't work anymore. He sighed and muttered something to himself, then turned to leave. Rogue closely following behind him.

Once back in the Professor's office, Rogue curled up on the sofa beside Storm and tried to ay attention. "So Magneto's back?" Scott said grimly, holding his own hands. The Professor sighed and nodded. "I'm afraid my old friend has returned to continue with his plans for mutant-superiority."

Wolverine banged his hand on the table and said, "God dammit." He was returned with blank stares. His outbursts surprised no-one anymore. Not even the newest of students. "We need to prepare." The Professor said, shooting an angry look at Logan.

"If he really is planning an attack, we will need to be ready." He shuffled with papers round his desk and addressed Scott. "Scott, as team leader you get the job of choosing the newest members of the team."

Scott choked. "You want to choose the new members from the students?" The Professor continuing searching through papers, without looking up at Scott. "Only the most able students Scott. For instance, Rogue. I'm sure you'll all agree that Rogue is practically one of the team already."

Scott nodded and shot a quick smile at Rogue, who beamed back. "And what about Bobby?" Storm said, speaking up. "After Rogue, he is the most experienced student in the school. And he has shown he can follow direct orders flawlessly." They all nodded in agreement.

"And what about the kid with the body armor?" Logan said, looking around at them all. "Colossus?" Scott said, looking slightly surprised. Rogue laughed. "Aw, come on! Peter's just a big softie!" Scott and Storm smiled slightly and Logan said; "Even so, with the steel muscles and the right kind of training that kid could be pretty good to have around in battle."

"Well I'm sure whatever Scott decides will be fine. Now Rogue I want to talk to you about your powers." On the verge of sleep, Rogue brightened up at the sound of her mutation. The Professor had said that he had been looking for something that would help her.

"Yes Professor?" She said, trying not to show her excitement. He shook his head and her and she visibly dulled. It wasn't about a cure. "I want you to tell me exactly when you started having you…_dreams_." Rogue looked at Logan and squinted her eyes trying to think. "It was the night that Gambit came." She said, remembering when he found her in the garage.

The Professor nodded and said, "And tonight you would agree that you were quite a lot more powerful that you usually are when using other's powers?" Rogue frowned at him while she thought about it. "Well yeah, I mean I've never done that much damage before, even when I absorbed Bobby's powers."

The Professor nodded again. "Have you noticed any increase in the time you can touch people without absorbing them?" Rogue shook her head, thinking of her kiss with Gambit. "No, it still comes after a few seconds." The Professor smiled at her and then at Scott.

"Your not suggesting that it id Gambit's presence that is causing Rogue's sudden power increase?" Storm asked, looking at the Professor unbelievingly. "Actually Storm, that's exactly what I'm implying." Storm laughed and shook her head. "No way." Rogue echoed her opinion.

"I agree with Storm Professor, I mean I've only known Gambit for a couple of days." The Professor smiled at her and said, "Yet you are now publicly seeing this man you barely know. Why is that?" Rogue glared at him and ignored the stares she was getting form Wolverine. "I get your point." She said, leaning further back into the sofa.

"Since we will need all the power we can get our hands on in the fight against Magneto, we will need you to be even more powerful. So on top of the danger room sessions that have been scheduled for you, I want you to spend all you free time with Gambit."

Rogue's first reaction was "Cool." She was being ordered to spend all her free time with her boyfriend. Not a bad way to go. "This also means, sharing the same room." That was the part that made Rogue stop and think. "What? Like same bed?" She said, thinking of her single bed in her room.

The Professor nodded and silenced both Logan and Scott, stopping their protests. "But Professor. What about my powers? Gambit might get hurt in the middle of the night."

"Oh I wouldn't worry about that Rogue." Storm said, patting her arm. "Gambit rarely sleeps anyway.

Rogue was tempted to ask if the information was from first hand experience, but she didn't. After all, she wasn't rude, much. "Now I'm sure you are very tired Rogue, so if you want to retire to bed it will be O.K." The Professor smiled at her and glanced at both Logan and Scott who looked quite red.

"Yeah." She said standing up. "Gambit will probably be waiting for me anyways." At this comment, Logan made a little noise, but stopped wit a stern look from Xavier. Rogue had the feeling that as soon as she stepped out of the room, she would be the topic of discussion, or debate.

_Oh well_. She shrugged and said good night to everyone. After she close the door and eruption of noise could be heard from inside. She smiled and shook her head, thinking of how she now had Scott as a protective father figure. _How did that happen?_ She asked herself.

Turning the corner, she walked straight into Bobby who seemed to be eavesdropping on the conversation in the room. Pretty hard to miss. "What are you doing here?" She said, looking around for Jubilee. "Nothing." He said nervously.

She starred at him. "You spying on me Bobby?" He looked at her in disgust and said, "The world doesn't revolve around you Rogue." She opened her mouth to reply, but shrugged and walked on down the corridor.

"Where are you going?" He shouted after her. "You're bedroom's the other way. That's the teachers quarters." She looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Two guess'." He gaped at her and then frowned. "That's not allowed." Rogue shrugged. "It is for me. Night Bobby. Give my regards to your girlfriend."

A stunned silence followed her down the hallway, all the way to Gambit's room. She opened the door with anticipation and found the light off and the bed empty. _Where'd that stupid Cajun get to now?_


	13. chapter 13

Simple Submission

Chapter 13

Rogue sighed and ran her hand through her hair agitatedly. _Where the hell does he go all the time?_ She yawned and shrugged. _If he's not here it's not my problem._ But it was a problem. Maybe he didn't want her, but she definitely wanted him. But she really got the impression that he did want her, just as much as she wanted him.

_Maybe it's my inexperience with boys._ She thought as she turned to close the door. She wasn't exactly expert in that area, due to her powers. "God, if Bobby hadn't taken so much of my time-" But she didn't get to the swearing and hissing about her ex which took up quite a lot of her time, unfortunately.

Something covered her mouth and she screamed into it. Two angry red circles glared at her from under shaggy dark hair. In the dark they almost looked like two tunnels that Rogue was willing to follow right to the end. "Remy." She tried to say, but his hand muffled the sound. "De Prof told me what you're doing here. You can borrow shirt and sweats from the drawer. I'm going to bed."

He left her quickly and suddenly that Rogue had to catch herself from falling forward. Rogue felt bewilderment that was slowly followed by a building anger. _How dare he be so rude to her! What was his problem anyway?_ She turned and watched him get into bed. "I didn't know guys got PMS." She said, letting a little of her annoyance seep out.

He didn't move, which annoyed her even more. When she was with Bobby and they had a disagreement he would always shout back at her. Not just sit there quietly. At first she raged at his silence, but as she slipped her top off and pulled the t-shirt on she thought that even he had answered her back on a number of occasions. That meant he was even more annoyed than she thought he was.

She forgot about daily hygiene and walked over to the bed. "Remy." She said softly. But even though he was facing her, he remained impassive. She slid onto the bed, not bothering to pull the covers around her. "Remy." She said and reached out to touch his face. His eyes flashed open and Rogue had a mili-second to admire their beauty in the complete darkness, before he snatched her hand away from his face and sat up.

"You were going to touch me." He said outraged. She shook her head, a little startled by his speed. "No. Look. I've got gloves on." He blinked at her and then held her hand gently in his. He turned it tenderly, as if to make sure the silk covered her whole hand and Rogue found herself closing her eyes. Savoring his touch.

But, just as quick as the last time, he turned away from her and muttered something which she took as an apology. She shook her head. Frustrated at his stubbornness and counted to ten. "O.K. Remy. What's wrong?" Still no answer. "It's going to be a pretty long night if you don't even try to sort this out."

He grunted again, but didn't turn. She slipped under the covers and traced a hand down his covered back. She felt him tense and then relax. That was a good sign. "What were you doing behind the door when I first came in here?" She asked, moving very slowly towards him. There was a pause and then he answered her. "I thought de Wolverine was coming back to finish me off."

Rogue smiled and thought fondly of Logan. He was such a cute little pile of mess. "You know, even behind the door he would have been able to smell you." Silence again. _Mental note; he doesn't like to be told the way to do things._ "Don't worry," she said, attempting to lighten the situation. "I gave Logan a good talking to. He won't annoy you again." More silence.

_Second mental note; don't stick up for him. He can take care of himself._ Guys were just so confusing. She really was at a loss as to what to do. "Look Gambit. You wanna help me out here? I don't know if this is just normal you or something else. Why are you made at me?" She watched his shoulders rise up and down and he breathed. He really was very cute. Even from the back.

"Did you have fun tonight?" Came the anger response to her question. Rogue was stunned. Was this an apology or was it something else. "Em. No, not really. I mean being trampled by some twisted mutants' slaves' isn't exactly my favourite thing to do." Gambit let out a soft laugh and said. "Really? You looked pretty comfortable to Remy."

Rogue looked around the room. This had to be a joke. Was there a camera hidden somewhere in the room? "Remy I really don't know what you talking about." He slipped out of the bed, but a cloud of rage followed him. "I'm going to get a glass off water." She scrambled from the bed and caught his hand.

With Bobby, Rogue would have been scared that he was going to go and not come back, but with Gambit it was anger. Instead of being scared, she was annoyed. "What the hell is wrong with you? I'm tryin' to be nice here! Tryin' to understand, but you're just throwing all of it back in my face. Well I don't have time for your son of a bitch tantrums. So why don't you just hurry up and get over yourself, so we can just go to bed."

To angry to congratulate herself on her boldness, she watched his anger grow and then suddenly shrink as he smiled at her. "Remy had forgotten how sexy you looked when you were angry." Her faced burned with her out of the blue compliment. Mainly because he was changing the subject and half of her wanted to, but the other half wanted to find out why he was being an asshole.

"Don't do that." She murmured, too embarrassed to shout. He started to smile, but stopped before it reached the corners of her lips. "Do you want to know why Remy is angry chere?" His deep voice and scary eyes made Rogue want to shrink back from him, but she stood firm and starred at him.

He leaned forward, until he was almost touching. Rogue had the impression that he was trying to be intimidating. But all she wanted to do was jump him. God he was hot! She tried to hold her anger as he starred into her eyes. "I don't share my women with anybody." He strung out each word, trying to emphasize the point. Rogue got it alright.

"You saw me with John." He sneered and pushed her back, but she didn't stumble. "Remy, I'm so sorry. He's- he's just an old friend." Remy nodded and walked around her. "Of coarse chere. It meant nothing. You're the only one for me." He said, mimicking her to the best of his ability. With, by the way, was crap.

"Actually," she said getting angry again. "It did mean something. But very, very little." He grunted and she made her way over to the bed. "I owed him Gambit. He warned me about the other mutants. If Magneto had found out he would have killed him. I saved him from most likely a very painful punishment. Besides, if I hadn't had his powers I probably would have been killed tonight. He kinda saved me."

"Remy could have protected you." Came the smart comment. He sounded aggravated. _Good._ "I know you could have." She said, patting his shoulder affectionately. "But what about all the other innocent people in the club?" She had the impression he was rolling his eyes at her, but she couldn't see because he had his back to her.

She jumped over him and lay down. "Do you forgive me?" She though about puppy dog eyes. But somehow wanting Bobby's last Rolo and getting Remy to forgive her just wasn't the same. "I don't share my women with anybody." She said stubbornly. She roller her eyes at him and got underneath the covers.

"It's good that we've established this isn't an open relationship because, you know, this was really starting to bore me." A stony silence could be heard from behind her. (Yes I understand your can't hear silences.). He was going to grump again. She gave him a quick kiss on the head an then turned away from him. _Wait for it._ She thought. _Just wait._

His arm snaked round her waste just like she knew it would and he pulled her closer to him. "Je reve do toi." He whispered after he kissed her hair. "You said that to me the first night you were here. What does it mean?" He kissed her head again, but kept silent. "Fine." She said, closing her eyes. "I'll just ask the Professor."

She felt him smile and was about to tell him not to get cute but sleep took over her. But she manage to whisper one last thing. "By the way. I'm your girlfriend. Not your woman."

"Good night Rogue."


	14. chapter 14

Simple Submission

Chapter 14

That night Rogue's dreams were in turmoil. They crashed into each other with a force that wasn't her own. Memories of someone's time in a horrible place flashed through her mind. Where they were always hungry and feared a small circular room at the back of the field and sometimes longed for it, feeling that going in and never coming out would be the answer to their suffering.

Then a perfect family came into mind. A family where there was always diner on the table and always hugs and kisses from mom or dad. But in this place he was different. No-one else was like him. And that scared him to no end. What if dad was to find he was a mutant? What would he do then?

More memories passed her. Some joyous, some horrific. But one made her wake up. The one memory that she hated more than anything. _Cody_. She held her head in her hands as she banished the memory from her mind. She had been through this with the Professor. He said he had locked the memory away. Then why was she thinking of it now?

A terrible thought came into her head that she pushed away from her own thoughts quickly. _How could she think that? After all the Professor has done for her. _But the thought still lingered as she shut her eyes again, praying for sleep. The thought of telepaths stayed with her until she finally gave in and built up her mental shields. Slowly, so there were no cracks.

She rubbed her head afterwards angry at herself for doing it. Though the shields gave no pain they often made her head feel crowded and annoyed her to no end. But it was worth it to get a little sleep. She tightened her hold on Gambit, who was snoring comfortably and tried to get back to sleep.

Expecting that her shields were not strong enough, Rogue expected the weird dreams to come back. But there was only pain. Real, solid pain. The kind that made her scream out loud and pull at the bonds that were holding her. CRACK Pain exploded in her back, first in a long strip at the top of it, then spreading through her entire body.

CRACK She screamed again. In pain and outrage. She was being whipped! She pulled on her arms which caused more pain. She was bound by chains and the hard metal had rubbed on her wrists so they were raw red and bleeding.

CRACK She screamed in pain and heard a loud cackle from somewhere in front of her. "That's enough Mystique. If you whip him anymore we'll see the colour of his spine." Rogue stiffened as she recognized the voice. "Magneto." She whispered turning to look at him.

He stood on a ledge in front of her, without his stupid helmet but equipped with his maroon cape. Rogue knew from his memories that it made him feel superior. Better than the fools around him. Almost regal in his twisted mind.

She felt overpowering hatred bubble to the surface and struggles against her bonds trying to get to him. To hurt him. To cause him pain. Surprise passed across his face and he tightened the bonds that held her. "It appears this experience has strengthened out little Firebug Mystique. My, my. Is this a good thing?"

_Firebug?_ Rogue felt a small twinge at the back of her head and she looked around her surprised. She was in John's body. He was being punished for...for helping her. _Oh John!_ She thought desperately and fought to stay in his mind. If she had caused this, she was going to ride it out.

Magneto glided towards her and Rogue leaned forward waiting for his arrival. Maybe she could bite him. "Well Pyro. Have you learnt your lesson?" Swallowing the spit she had gathered in order to aim it at his face, Rogue felt that, if John was to be saved from more punishment, she would have to play the weakling.

"Yes Magneto. I have learnt my lesson." He lifted her chin and looked at her unconvinced. "Pyro, my boy. Since when have your eyes been green?" Rogue starred at him and tried to think of an excuse. "I……My eyes." "It appears we have an intruder Mystique. And I believe we have met before."

Rogue dropped her pretence and flung herself at him, but the bonds held her steady. "You son of a bitch! Why are you doing this?" Magneto laughed and looked down at her. "My, my Rogue. How you have changed. Why you were just a stupid little wimp when we last saw you. Obviously Charles has been employing new tactics to teach his children. By the way how is the Wolverine?"

Rogue spat at him and then glared. Daring him to punish her. Wiping the spit off his face he looked at her with distaste. "Maybe a little too much backbone on this one." He smirked at her and then back-handed her across the face. Rogue whimpered as the stinging feeling appeared.

"Rogue my dear. I would love for you to stay. But you see you've caught us a t a bad time. You see, one of my boys let me down so Mystique has decided to punish him." He smiled at his blue whore behind Rogue and then said, "So if you would be so kind as to leave I would-"But he stopped, looking at her sharply.

"If you are here, then where is Pyro?" Rogue blinked and thinking that it was a rather good question searched at the back on her mind. _John?_ I soft presence filled her head and she could almost hear his thoughts. He was scared. Scared for himself, but mostly scared for her. He fought at her, trying to gain control of his mind again. But Rogue pushed him back. _If you'd had stayed at school you would have learnt how to do that._

She was brought back to reality with a soft tap on her head. She growled at Magneto who slapped her again. Just as hard as the last time. "Well? Where is he?" He demanded, almost as if he was worried. _The great Magneto, caring for someone other than himself? Impossible!_

"He's here." She said quietly, trying not to concentrate on the pain coming form her open wounds. But the hot blood falling down her back was hard to forget. "Here, where?" He demanded, and again Rogue questioned how much he cared for John.

"He's trapped in my mind." She snarled at him, risking another smack. "And once you leave?" He asked. "He'll regain control." He recovered his composure and glanced at her again. "Good." _How could he hurt John like this and still care abut his well-being?_

"Rogue I grow tired of our meeting." He said, walking around her and feeling the cuts in her back. "I'm not leaving John." She said through gasps as the pain filled her. "But my dear, your not really here." "That's not the point." She said through clenched teeth as he continued.

He walked round her and wiped the blood on her face. "Well if you won't leave on your own accord, we'll just have to force you to." He nodded at Mystique and the whipping started again. "I hope you understand Rogue," she heard him say through her screams. "I can't have you accidentally hearing something and running off to tell my old friend Charles. A matter of business you see. Not pleasure. Never pleasure."

It was then the pain consumed her that John pushed her out of his mind.

She clawed at the bonds holding her. _Magneto won't hurt John! I won't let him! I'll run away! I'll-_ She screamed as she felt someone's presence in her mind. Someone other than John. "No! You can't have him. You can't have him!" It was one of Magneto's tricks. Something to make her give him up. She tugged at the bonds and let out frustrated growls. If only her powers weren't so useless!

"Let go of me!" She screamed, but the struggle to hold her continued. "Shut up Rogue!" A familiar voice shouted. "Can't you see we're trying to help you?" Rogue hesitated and opened her eyes. She was back in the mansion, but how? Just two seconds ago Mystique had been whipping her. Logan and Peter to her right, Gambit and Cyclops to her left. The Professor was at the bottom of the bed with Bobby hovering behind him.

"I don't understand!" She whispered. She looked around at her scared and saw little pieces of ice everywhere. She tried to move but the four men around her were holding her down. "Let go of me!" she shouted, scared of their touch. "We'll let go when you calm down a little Rogue." Cyclops said in a dull voice. He was trying to keep his emotions from showing.

"Get off me!" She hissed dangerously, focusing on Peter who she believed was the weakest of the four, even though he was the one in metal casing. "Rogue. We only want to help you." He said nervously, looking around for support. "Rogue please stop struggling. As Peter said, we are here to help." "Then why are you holding me?"

The Professor sighed and rubbed his head. "As much as it pains me to do so, I must keep you still. You are a danger to yourself as much as you are to others." She growled at him and kicked out which landed Peter one in the gut. He grunted and turned away for a second. That's what brought Rogue back to her senses. She looked around her and saw sweat on the foreheads on each of the men. Logan especially. And she had just hurt Peter when he was in his steel casing. What was going on?

"I-I don't understand." She said shrinking away from everyone in the room. "What's wrong with me?" Logan looked agonized with having to hold her down, as did Scott. But Remy looked calm and it was to him she pleaded with her eyes. _Help me. Tell me what's happening._ But he just stared back at her. Sweating slightly and holding her upper body.

"Rogue," The Professor said, bringing her attention back to him. "Your powers are growing rather rapidly. I'm sure you've been experiencing it with these strange dreams and the knowledge and whereabouts of the people you have absorbed. But they are growing in such a way that you are finding it hard to control them. They come and go at will and you can barely control them when you use them."

_If I had Johns powers right now I'd burn you alive._ She thought angrily, but keeping still. If she could convince him that she was calm they would let her go. Then she'd do something about it herself. What did he mean she can't control her powers? Look how powerful she was getting! She was always just boring old Rogue, who found out she was a mutant. Then things changed for worse when she couldn't touch. And they just kept on getting worse until _now!_

Now she can touch her friends without hurting them! Now she can control people in her dreams! Think of how powerful she would be if she could do it when she was conscious of what she was doing! _And this is exactly why you need to control them Rogue._ The Professor spoke to her through telepathy. "How did you get past my shields?" She shouted, raising an inch or two off the bed before the four men pushed her back down.

He looked at her directly, as if she was some dense child. "Give me some credit Rogue. I do happen to be one of the most powerful telepaths in the world. I can certainly break through the shields of my own student." She growled at him and lay back on the bed, breathing heavily. Actually Rogue thought there might be something to what he was saying. Not about the controlling people, because that would be way cool. It was her own thoughts that scared her. Did she just threaten to burn them all?

_Good Rogue._ The Professor said nodding_. This is exactly what I want to hear._ She breathed in deeply to calm herself, shuddering involuntary. She wanted to defy him. But she wouldn't. Not if he was trying to help her. "If my powers are going to get worse then I really do need your help. Especially if Magneto is after me."

"Magneto is after you?" Bobby squeaked, turning white. As usual everyone ignored him. He wasn't here to help with thinking. He was here to supply muscle like the other four. Or ice in his case, since the only thing he's been able to do is freeze her arms and upper legs down. _Nice one Bobby. Now I'm gonna get pneumonia._ Though she had to admit, the ice was rather effective.

"What do you want me to do?" She said, diverting her thoughts from her ex. "I want you to attend the danger room sessions that I have set for you.And I want you to stay in the mansion until I tell you." At this point Rogue shouted "What?" And noticed that Gambit's head turned directly to stare at the Professor. "That is so unfair!" The Professor shrugged. "C'est la vie."

"Life sucks Rogue. Get over it." Logan added from the side grinning at her. Thinking about how much fun he was going to have in the danger room with the kid. It's always fun to watch people fall on their faces. Rogue stuck her tongue out at him and then smiled sweetly. "Fine." She said, turning away from Logan's freaked out face. "I promise I won't try to sneak out or anything as long as Logan gets to be my watcher."

"Agreed." The Professor said immediately, laughing with her telepathically. "What?" Logan screamed, letting go of Rogue who scratched her nose before he realized what he had done. "Logan, you are as much a danger to ordinary people as Rogue is. Besides, you have been away a long time and I think you and Rogue could benefit from some time together. You have not seen each other in a long time."

"Ever think maybe I didn't want to?" Logan said which earned him a punch in the guts from Rogues' free hand. "Alright. You can let her go now." The Professor said, wheeling towards the door. "Rogue I will be keeping you under constant watch. There will be an adult round all them time and of coarse Logan." "You mean I have to be around all the time?" Logan said groaning.

"But that's not fair!" Rogue said, just as annoyed as Logan. "The other kids at school are going to think I'm some kind of freak." She said, straining against the ice. Then correcting herself, "Well a bigger freak than I already am anyway. Everyone will avoid me all the time." Bobby laughed and said, "It's not like everyone doesn't already avoid you Rogue."

She glared at him and opened her mouth to comment when Logan beat her to it. "If you don't have anything nice to say," "Schlitz His right three claws came out. "Don't say anything at all." Bobby stepped back slightly and then straightened up. "Logan." The Professor said looking sounding strained, "Please don't threaten the students. They've come here for safety, not to be scared witless by an overgrown monster.

Logan shrugged and retracted the claws, but not before dragging one across his throat in a decapitating fashion. Rogue laughed as she saw Bobby's hand ice up but stopped she caught Gambit leaving quietly when no-one was looking. "Gambit." She said, trying to sit up but falling back with the ice still on her.

"Logan," she said, suddenly in a rush to find Gambit. "Would you be so kind?" Logan smirked and shrugged. "I dunno Rogue. Chuck said you were pretty dangerous. Maybe we should keep you here until morning." "Logan." Rogue growled. "When I get out of here-"

"Precisely Rogue." He said, walking around the bed towards the door. "_When_ you get out of here." She could hear him laughing all the way down the hallway. "Idiot." She muttered and then saw Peter. "Colossus. You couldn't help an old friend out could you?" He starred at her, scandalized. "Yeah," she said turning slightly red. "Sorry about-erm-kicking you. I was actually aiming for the Professor." He cocked an eyebrow at her and walked out of the room.

"Fine." She shouted after him. "Be an ass." She starred at the door for a long time, not wanting to believe he was left alone in the room with Bobby. "I can't believe I'm gonna say this." She muttered turning to him. "Bobby. Could you please remove your ice from me so I can at least sit up?" He smiled and walked round the bed. "Of coarse I can." She beamed at him. Maybe he wasn't such an asshole after all. "But I want to get a few things straightened up before hand." Or maybe he was just a dick.

"Please don't get up." He said closing the door and pulling a chair over. "There are quite a few things a want to clear up and it might take a while. I want you to be ass comfortable as possible." He smiled at her and started. "Right, first of all. Remember that time you told me that I had stubby fingers-" "Bobby." Rogue said her voice low and dangerous. "Don't worry Rogue, this won't take long.

Actually it took two hours and twenty minutes. A very long time for a very agitated young woman, hearing about how she was hurtful and shouldn't have called his _little man_ small. A very, very long time.


	15. chapter 15

Chapter 15

Rogue opened her eyes to see what was tapping her on the head. But the fact that it was morning and she had only had five hours of sleep the night before meant her vision was blurry and restricted. She could see the light, but that was about it. "Whaadoyahwan?" She said, hoping whatever it was, it would go away as soon as possible so she could get back to her well deserved sleep.

"Come on Rogue. It's time to learn how to fight." She waved her hands about, trying to hit whoever was annoying her and then gasped as a sharp pain hit her side. "Stupid Logan." She muttered, rubbing the place where he had made Gambit drop her. "What was that?" The voice said and she opened her eyes and shouted to whoever it was.

"I said stupid Logan." She heard a chuckle from somewhere above her and blinked a couple of times trying to clear her vision. Slowly a fuzzy shape began to appear. "Well kid, you just made it so much easier for me to train you this morning."

"Logan?" Rogue said, rubbing her eyes. "Is that you?"

She caught sight of him beside her bed. "What are you doing in my room?" She said, sitting up ready to hit him. He chuckled and made his way to the door. "You got training in twenty minutes Rogue. You better get ready. Put on something light. Then meet me outside the danger room. You and the other kids are being introduced into the life of Xmen."

She frowned at him as he walked out the door. "You make it sound so inviting." He turned round to look at her with mock surprise. "Oh yeah. Being an Xmen is a bundle of laughs." His freaky joke followed by freaky laughter followed him out of her room and down the hallway. Rogue starred at the door and raised an eyebrow. "Psycho much?" She muttered as she got out of bed.

She stretched yawning and then rubbed her upper arms. _Stupid Bobby and his stupid ice. Could have caught Frost bite the amount of time I was there.(_Thank you Colette for that wonderful piece of information. rolls her eyes Don't do it again)She looked around for her dresser which was usually sitting beside her windows. But then she caught site of the curtains. Ugly, revolting curtains, with kittens playing hopscotch.

She groaned and opened the drawers to kind Gambit's clothes. "I'm in Gambit's room. With Gambit's clothes and Gambit's horrible curtains. Dammit." She fought the urge to stamp her foot and turned to leave. She caught herself from bumping into a large wall. A.k.a. Gambit.

"The curtains aren't that bad. Gambit named that one Betsy." He said, pointing to a black and white kitten with a yellow ball balanced on its nose. "Right, real cute. Where have you been all night?" She said, pushing at his chest. He rolled his eyes and gently pushed her out of his way.

He moved about the room as if she wasn't there at all. "Gambit!" She said, outraged at his dismissal. "Yes Rogue?" He said, stopping everything and looking at her directly. She shook her head and steeped closer to him. "What's wrong with you? Where did you go last night? Did something happen?"

He grimaced at her and shook his head. "Don't worry your pretty little head petite. Gambit's dealt with this kind of thing before. It never turns out to be real." Rogue blinked at him. "You trying to be cute Cajun?" She said, looking at him suspiciously. His face suddenly went dead and she stepped back. Not frightened, but surprised by the sudden change. A lot of emotion was built up behind his face, and he just wasn't showing it.

"If something bad has happened to you, I want to help." She watched him, pleading with him to tell her something, anything. Now it was him who took a step back from her, as if it were he who was afraid. "Gambit-" She said, trying to reach to him but he turned away from her. "I'm going to have a shower."

She looked away, enraged that he was hiding from her. "Fine." She said, lifting her clothes from the floor beside the bed. "I'll get out of your way shall I? Wouldn't want to trespass on your secrets." He turned to her, anger plain on his face. She turned her back on him purposely. "I don't know what's wrong with you Gambit. But talk to me when you're over yourself."

She jogged down the hall, stretching her neck from side to side. _What the hell was wrong with the stupid Cajun?!? Where the hell does he come off being all high and mighty? If I could only get him into a room alone..._ She stopped and blinked as different thoughts than what she had expected came into mind. "Hey Rogue." Someone said from behind her.

She spun and found Peter walking down the hallway towards her in the same kind of clothes she was wearing. Jogging bottoms and a thin t-shirt. "I knew you liked me Rogue." She looked at him surprised. "You're blushing." He said gently, as if she were a child. She smiled and rubbed her cheeks.

"Your right," She said, falling into him so that he caught her. "I've loved you for so long, ever since I first met you." He lifted his hand to his head in a damsel in distress kind of pose, while still holding Rogue. "Alas fair Rogue; my heart is taken by another."

"Really?" She said, standing up properly. Then her face darkened. "Is it Jubilee?" Peter looked at her surprised. "After what she and Bobby did to you? Of coarse not." She starred at him. "I never knew you felt like that." He smiled at her again, more condescendingly than anything.

She hugged him round the waist. Pretty much because he was way too tall for her arms to go around her neck. After their touching moment was over and they started towards the danger room again, Rogue had to ask. "So who is she?" He smiled at her sideways and then decided to create selective hearing just at that moment.

"Awww come on! I'm like your best friend." He laughed and said, "yeah. I like you and all but you're not my best friend." She pouted at him and then shrugged. "Well I never liked you at all." She picked up her pace and walked ahead of him. She heard him running after her and she ran ahead, but he caught up with her.

"No you don't." He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "Hey!" She said, slapping his shoulders. After a few relentless seconds, Rogue gave up. "It's Kitty." She heard him say quietly, about the place where her ass was. She struggled to look at his face, but he twisted her so she couldn't.

"Peter! Put me down right now!" He stopped and dropped her, catching her before she fell on her ass. "O.K. Say that again, just so I heard it right." He beamed red and whispered the name again. "I can't believe it! You like Kitty!" He choked and jumped for her but she dodged him.

"Rogue, be quiet please!" He hissed at her, as she ran down the hallway laughing. "Awww. Peter." She said, dashing back to him and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Don't worry I won't say a thing." He looked worried until she patted him on the arm grinning.

"You know," he said as they found themselves outside the danger room. "You would never have let me carry you like that last week." He said seriously. "Or hugged me. Or kissed me." She shrugged and rolled her neck. "I guess I've changed." He shook his head. "It's not just that. It's happened so fast. With Bobby," Her face darkened at the thought and she reminded herself that she had to pay him back for his actions last night.

He paused and then carried on. "With Bobby, you were always so distant with everyone. Even when your powers evolved." He touched his cheek where she had kissed him. "Do you know why?" She shook her head, knowing exactly what he was going to say. But wondering when the big silent guy had got so deep. "It's that guy. Storm's friend. He's changed you."

She rolled her eyes at the mention of Gambit. "No offense Pete, but I really don't want to talk about this." He shrugged and glanced away. "I'm just saying. Whatever he did to you, it's good. If you can, keep him around." The danger room's door opened and Peter walked in. Rogue wasn't so quick to follow.

_He can't have changed me that much._ But thinking back she knew she was wrong. With Bobby she had always been careful, always been wary of any kind of touch. That's not to say she wasn't now, but it was different. Back then she was almost afraid of touch, now she just made sure she wasn't hurting anybody. The thought of up close intimacy didn't frighten her. If anything, she just thought about it more.

Peter was right. Gambit had brought this on. With his arrival he had brought her confidence and poise. And she liked it. But what happens after he went away? Would it leave? She hadn't wanted to admit it to herself, but this morning had scared her to death. Gambit had been so cold with her and she had almost wanted to grovel for forgiveness, just like she had always done with Bobby.

_Dammit!_ She slammed her fist against the wall and held onto the pain. She'd only known him for such a small amount of time, but if she was to lose him now…… "Rogue!" She heard a shout from inside. "Get your ass in here! Pronto!"

"Coming Logan." She shouted, running her fingers across the knuckles she had slammed.

"I don't like to be kept waiting." She rolled her eyes and stretched her neck. No time to think of her own problems now. Time to be an Xman. _Or woman._ "Time to meet the new time." She whispered to herself as she walked in. _This is gonna be a hell of a lot of laughs._


	16. chapter 16 An explanation for Gambit

In don't normally do this, but I realised that when I apologize to people on my bio's page, there never read it. So here an apology for Crimson Lipstick. **SORRY. I offended you. I do that without thinking when I'm speaking. And unfortunately, I just realised I can do that without even talking to the person.** **Everyone's entitled to their own opinion and** **annoyingly enough, I seem to be the sort of person who tries to force their opinion on everyone else. Also I'm very protective of close friends and since Colette is just some weirdo with a mind like a black-hole I met at school(no-offence Colette) I can only offer temporary insanity for my actions. Or just ignorance of the youngest child. SORRY. **

**Ok. Since that was kind of new for me I think I'll just get on with the story. Stop poking me Colette! SWAT**

Simple Submission

Chapter 17

Gambit was a complex man. Confusing some would say, even those who know him best. His brother Henri tried very hard to know him. Even without the blood ties, he still wanted him as his brother. And Gambit appreciated that, more than anything. He would love his brother until the day he died. But his father, Jean-Luc, never understood him. Or maybe he understood him on a different level that was wanted by his son. Gambit wanted a father; Jean-Luc wanted a weapon.

Perhaps Gambit was lucky that Jean-Luc had taken him in. Before the Guild he had had no family and no protector. He was fresh meat on the streets of New Orleans, free pick for anyone who wanted him. He shudders to think what could have happened to him if he had not tried to steal from the King of Thieves. But in other ways, more than one, finding his way into Jean-Luc's pocket was one of the worst things that could have happened to him. Oh yes, he got a family, he got friends and he got a fresh plate of Gumbo at every dinner. But what the boy really needed was a figure he could look up to, someone who could teach him the rights and wrongs of life. Not a mentor who taught him the inside and out of the State Museum.

But Gambit was oh so young when he was adopted and as he was dazzled by the beauty of the Guild and over-confident with his newly growing talent, he never noticed the strange looks that Jean-Luc would give him as he sparred with Henri in the dinner hall, or the way his father would wink at his brothers and uncles as he patted him on the head. All Gambit could see was the love. That was all he ever saw.

When he was no more than 13, Gambit met a girl about his own age in the swamps where he grew up in. Overcome with curiosity to who the blonde haired girl could be, he had approached her and enquired to her name. After a while a friendship grew between, which was made stronger when they realised they shared something in common. They both had special powers which had manifested when they were younger. And so as their friendship grew, they started to rely on each other. Belle was easy to talk to and since she was so interesting, it was easy to listen to her. Neither really noticed when it had turned to love. Maybe it was a few years after they had started experimenting, or after Remy had noticed that Belle was no longer a girl with a flat chest. She now had curves. Very nice curves at that. To look at and to touch. Well whenever it happened, it was confirmed the day Remy found Belle in their usual place, crying. Her father had a husband for her. And she was to be married in two months. Remy of coarse was outraged. No-one was going to marry off his woman! But after a lot of threatening on Remy's part and a lot of crying on Belle's, they finally realised who each other were. They were set to marry each other.

Belle was ecstatic. She was going to marry her childhood love. It was as if they were made for each other. Gambit didn't quite share her views. He loved Belle, but he had been betrayed by his own family. How could his father do this to him? It wasn't because of love he knew that. And there was no way Jean-Luc could have found out about Belle, he only took an interest in the Gambit's skills, never his life. Of course to Jean-Luc the Guild was life. But still, to marry him off to his enemy's daughter? Why not Henri? Ah yes, of course. Henri was too important to be given away like that. He was first heir to the throne. One day to be King, God willing. And Gambit, well he wasn't even blood. He was perfect for this task. Just perfect.

So Gambit was marrying the love of his life for the future of the Guild. He was saving his brother and cousins from future blood shed. And with this kind of responsibility, how could he refuse. A perfect match. But it was strange, as soon as it was announced officially that Gambit and Belle were to marry, Gambit started to find things that he had never noticed about Belle before. All women were nagging, but Belle took it overboard. All women were jealous if their beau flirted with someone else, but Belle was furious. And of course, all little girls dreamed of their wedding day, but Belle had every detail sketched out since she was 12 years old. She was infuriating. And it was not just Gambit who thought so.

His cousin Lapin was furious. How could Jean-Luc do this? Marry his son off to a dragon woman? This was the ultimate treachery in his book, and if he wasn't scarred witless of his Uncle, he would have definitely give him a piece of his mind. And of coarse there was Henri. Who could not believe that his father, who he had admired as his ultimate hero since he was a child, was giving away his second son. Although Gambit was unaware of his views on the matter, he was there to see how Henri had been thrown through a door, with a bloody nose and the becoming of a bruised eye after he had confronted his father about the matter. He and his father did not speak for a week after that. And, although Gambit was touched by his brother's outrage on his behalf, he was also jealous of the strain it put on Jean-Luc not to be able to talk to his son. It would never be like that with him and his father. But thankful of the way Jean-Luc had adopted him as his own, Gambit gave his consent to be married. It wouldn't be that bad. Belle was beautiful and she had a perfect body to go with it. If he could only find a way to shut her flapping mouth. All day, going on about the colours that suited her and those which did not. It was like a constant fly that was always there. On and on.

But there was another problem. And it came in the form Belle's brother Julien, favourite grandson of the King of the Assassins. Around his sister he was all smiles. Of course he would be Gambit's Usher. Someone had to make sure the traitorous thieves stayed in order. The traitorous thieves being Gambit's cousins and brother, all of whom were part of the ceremony. But when Belle wasn't around, when she was seeing the dressmaker or choosing flowers with her cousins, Julien was a devil. He seemed to think that he must share his views on his grandfather's choice of a husband for Belle, with everyone. Including all of the Thieves Guild. Usually, Gambit's honour would be protected, at the pains of death. But then again, usually, Gambit would never have seen Julien, if not for tux fittings at the most expensive shop in New Orleans. Belle was going to bankrupt not just her own father, but Gambit's as well with all her unnecessary necessities. In Julien's view, Gambit was never good enough for _his_ sister. Not a stinking thief like him. A bad thief even. She would be much better suited with one of the rich aristocrats in the city, where her family could reach her if there was ever a member of the Thieves Guild needing assassinated. This went on for quite sometime. Everyday. Until Gambit decided that Julien needed to brought down a peg or two.

Today, Julien had been warning Gambit that if he ever touched his sister in any sexual manner and he heard about it, he would just have to kill Gambit and say that he was protecting his sister from rape. Seeing his opportunity, Gambit jumped right in, informing Julien that he _had_ in fact _already_ touched his sister in a sexual manner and had done much more. And will continue to touch his sister in a sexual manner and do much more to her after their marriage, as was his right as her husband. And yes, Julien would probably hear it, from his own sister's mouth. If that is what the back-stabbing assassins talked about in their spare time.

Gambit barely got to see the ultimate rage in his eye before Julien jumped on him. Neither his brother nor his cousins helped him. In fact they cheered him on. It was an ingenious plan and they all knew what Gambit was doing. He had baited Julien, who had taken the carrot like a good little ass, and was now intending to hurt Gambit. Idiocy like this would not go unnoticed and so the wedding would have to be called off. And everything would go back to normal. Thieves would hate Assassins. Assassins would hate Thieves. And Julien Bordeaux, the Assassin King's own grandson, would be disgraced for life, for causing the alliance between the Guild's to be broken and destroying the last chance to make peace. Oh yes, this would be very good.

But there was a problem. Isn't there always? Julien was not trying to hurt Gambit; he was trying to kill him. And, as one of man's basic instincts is to defend himself, Gambit suddenly found his hand on the hilt of a dagger, protruding from Julien's stomach. A scream filled the large dressing room and Gambit turned to see Belle running towards him, with a dagger of her own. Her eyes held such hate, that Gambit was frozen in place. Then Henri came out of nowhere, throwing Belle across the room with his bo-staff and picking Gambit off the ground with on sharp pull. He managed to slap Gambit once for his idiocy and then push him towards the door. Still watching Belle sob over her brother, Gambit could not move. It was his brother's new fiancé, Mercy, who finally got him moving. "You were never in love with her Remy. It was lust. It's always lust with you. Now go. Before your father comes. He will not forget this." And so Gambit ran. Still in a tux, running to no-where. Running away from responsibility and running away from the life he had loved so much. Fear of his father's terrible vengeance on him was not the thing that fuelled him. Nor was it Mercy's truthful words. It was the thought that he had failed at being a son and brother and cousin and nephew. He had failed the Guild. He had failed everyone. He had simply failed.

Gambit ran away and never went back. But he was confused that day and for many days after that. And because of this, he took Mercy's words to their value and kept them with him. Mistaking a lie for the truth, he built his future life on the thought that it was lust. It was always lust with him. And it always will be. He would never again mistaken lust for love. From then on, for Remy LeBeau, it was all just fun and alcohol.


	17. chapter 17

I find myself having to apologise for this chapter. I'm trying to pull everything together, but it doesn't seem to be working. Sorry.

Caitlinn.

Simple Submission

Chapter 17

A stray laser beam shot Rogue's way. She had not been its target. It had reflected off Pete's metallic body and was now hurtling her way. No slow motion and no Matrix Revolutions. All Rogue saw was a flash of red light and then a sharp pull on her arm flinging her backwards. And all of a sudden she was in the arms of the Remy LeBeau.

"You should be more careful Rogue. Maybe you're not cut out for this kind of work, eh?" Two seconds of starring into the eyes of a demon. Blissful. Heavenly. And then he was gone.

"Come on Rogue, pick up the pace." Cyclops' voice filled the large room through the numerous speakers. It was Rogue's third training session of the week, and she was slacking. And it wasn't just her. Bobby was barely able to ice-up before a metallic disk hit him and Kitty was already out, slumped over a chair in the med-wing. Now there were four of them left. Pete, Jubilee, Bobby and Rogue. Their aim was to get from one end of the room to another, without being squashed, blown-up, flattened, burnt, sliced in half or killed. Not an easy job.

There were also three minders. Logan, Storm and Gambit. Their job was to make the aim harder, putting obstacles in their way and also to keep them alive. Without meaning to they had split the job. Storm looked after Jubilee and Bobby, sending torrential rain on the two when they had nearly figured a way out and blowing up robot sentinel's with her bolts of lightening. Logan had taken charge of Pete and Kitty, forming a strange sort of friendship with the metallic giant, while trying to slice off some fingers. Unfortunately, most of time was spent trying to take care of Kitty who seemed to attract the robots everywhere she went. So, much to her annoyance, Rogue had been stuck with Gambit.

Trying to focus on the task at hand was quite hard when an overwhelming urge to stick Gambit's snide comments up his ass was gnawing at her skin. But ignoring him had become easier over the last couple of days and now she was nearly able to block him out completely. But his eyes were the problem. Every time she saw them all her defensive shields dropped and she was mesmerised, making it kind of hard for him not to read her feelings like a book. She had mentioned to him last night that she would like to carve his eyes out one day, but of coarse he had just laughed at her and climbed out the window.

He had been doing that a lot lately, leaving her by escape through the window. Usually at night. Leaving her alone with only her thoughts as a comfort. And that didn't help much since she was always thinking of him, or training. He had started to distance himself from her and it hurt. Was he bored of her already? Was she really that uninteresting? Anyways, what did beer and girls have to offer him that she couldn't? Truthfully, she would be doing the same thing herself.

These thoughts were distracting her more and more until finally Gambit pushed her into an alcove to shield her.

"What d'hell are you doing?" He shouted, half so she could hear him over the commotion in the large room and half to let his anger be shown. "Dese tings are dangerous Rogue! If you loose your concentration even for one second, you gonna die." Rogue took the opportunity to catch her breath, while he protected her from any dangers. Then she pushed past him and back into the large room.

"Point noted. Now fuck off." She shouted over her shoulder and ran off to the direction she figured as north. She fumed silently over his ignorance towards her. _How can he be giving me speeches about the dangers when he's the one making me distracted?_ Why were things always so complicated when it had to do with Rogue? That may be one of those questions that are forever unanswered.

She ran flat out, using the few techniques Logan had taught her about fighting. Vaguely, she felt some sort of large energy behind her, keeping pace and keeping her out of harms way. She knew it was Gambit, but she took no notice. He was just another problem she did not want to deal with.

Swoosh She ducked under a large rotating blade and registered dimly her annoyance at how far she was being pushed in such a short period of time. But it was no time to complain. Schknict She dodged a massive pair of what looked like scissors trying to cut her in half. Swoosh Another blade, except this one shot out fire balls if it missed its target. And all these different things just added to her annoyance at Gambit.

It was building up slowly as she ran; the pressure in her body. She couldn't place it, but it was as if energy was pushing out from the inside, looking for a way for a release. It built up at the back of her mind and it slowly diminished any kind of awareness she had of the outside world. But yet, she was defeating everything the danger room had to offer her with master determination and a gentle ease.

The pressure built and built until it was as if she could feel her mind expanding reaching out to touch others in the room and close by. But she pulled back, she fought it. It wasn't her doing this and it certainly wasn't her choice to touch Wolverine's mind. Cold and animal. With only the basic instincts she was able to read, it scared her. _Protect. Hunt. Kill._ That's all he thought about.

_No!_

Someone was screaming, loud and frustrated. It was Rogue, Rogue was screaming. And as always there was something seriously wrong. It was like someone had gotten hold of her mind somehow and was shaking off her control. She screamed at it, and thrashed out physically, knocking those who had come to help out of the way. She wasn't going to loose control, not again. Not in front of everyone. But it was too hard. She needed help. Desperately.

She searched around in her mind, throwing about for some kind of anchor she could hold on to. All she found were the minds of her friends. And it was much like the day she had invaded Logan's subconscious. _Useless! They were all just pitiful, worthless creatures! _She cast about again, growing more desperate by the second. And then she found Gambit. He was there waiting for her. Patient as always. And she ran to him. Well, she metaphysically jumped on him, but it's more or less the same thing. Safe, she was safe.

But no. Something happened. He was gone. He had left her. And without him, she had no control.

Rogue woke somewhere cold and quiet. Immediately she was depressed. _What the hell was wrong with me? Why does this keep on happening? God dammit! _She was about to sit up, but decided against it. She would let the inevitable commotion about her little tantrum in the danger room happen later. Right now all she needed some alone time, where she could just be alone.

She looked around the med-lab and found the person she so did not want to see sitting up on the bed beside her. "Gambit." She whispered, causing him to look up at her, his face pasty white. His expression was so desperate, so distraught that she nearly lifted her hand to reach to him, but stopped short of moving.

They starred at each other in silence, Rogue; not knowing what to say to this man she hardly knew, and Gambit; just so relieved she was awake. "How long have I been asleep?" She said, not knowing what else to stay. Gambit closed his eyes and breathed deeply, letting the relief flow from his body. "Bout two days now." She watched him relax, _as if me waking up actually meant something to him._ But even as she thought the spiteful comment she knew it wasn't true.

He was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing in the danger room and if what he said was true, it meant been up to his room in two days. "How long have you been here?" He looked up at her and she could how tired he was. "He hasn't left your side since you came in here." Storm answered her question from the doorway. Rogue turned her head to see the white haired goddess smiling down at her. "We've all been very worried about you Rogue. Scott and Logan have been nearly completed every single level in the training room together in an effort to get their mind of you."

Too tired to look surprised she just shrugged and looked down. "And the Professor's been quite distracted. He's been working later into the night than he normally does, although I suppose he doesn't get much sleep anyways." Rogue remained silent, twisting at strand of hair through her fingers. There wasn't much to say anyways. "Um, o.k. Do you know what happened to me?" Storm looked slightly uncomfortable at her question. "Well there are a few theories at the moment. Some believably, some totally ridiculous." She shot an irritated look at Gambit who just starred back indifferent to her glare. "But I think we're all interested in what you have to say mostly. In fact I had better go tell everyone that you're awake. Expect lots of badly drawn cards from your friends."

She smiled then and walked out of the room, leaving them alone. Rogue twisted her fingers again and forced herself to look down at the bed sheets. She could feel Gambit's gaze but to look up meant even more awkwardness and besides she was angry at him. Though that was a constant thing so it wasn't so bad.

Finally, feeling the silence to heavy to breath, Rogue spoke. "I guess I should thank you for staying with me while I was-er-asleep." She looked up at him and his face had slipped back to normal arrogant Gambit, but without the smile. And a lot more pastiness. "Don't worry about it. Had nothing better to do anyways." She frowned at him and he smiled at her raising his eyebrows. "Whatever." She said, turning her back to him. The others would get here soon so she didn't have to stick his crappy attitude much longer. Maybe she could get Wolverine to cut his smile off. It would definitely be an improvement.

"You now," she said, with her back still turned to him. "I was trying to be nice. Why do you always have to ruin it?" No answer. _Fine, asshole_. She prayed for some patience and for a lightening bolt to come down and electrocute him. But soon she felt some pressure on the bed as Gambit slipped under the covers and lay beside her. "Get out of my bed Swamp Rat." She said icily, refusing to turn around. "Non." Was the answer.

"Look Gambit you're really not my favourite person at the moment and I have enough shit to deal with without you breaking my heart. So why don't you just go down town, get a few girls and get rid of your frustration with them." _Did I really just say that? Cool! Go m , go me, go me._ She waited for another one of his smartass answers so she could continue with her 'fuck-off' attitude. But it never came.

She turned her head slightly to make sure he was still there and saw the tired and defeated look on his face. "I give up. I cannot win your affections without damaging my own." He ran a hand through his long tousled hair and swung his legs over the side of the bed, but before he got off Rogue grabbed his arm. "What does that mean?" He shrugged and avoided eye-contact. "Nothing. It means nothing."

He got off the bed and walked over to his coat, looking through the various pockets. She starred at him incredulously. How could he say something like that? How could he toy with her feelings again after what he had done to her already? She started breathing heavily and her fists clenched either side of the bed she was holding onto. Gambit looked up and turned round as if someone had spoken his name. He had a cigarette in his mouth and a lighter in his hand. Another thing that annoyed Rogue about him. She hated smoke.

The lighter burst into flames in his hand and he dropped it cursing. "What was that for?" He shouted, the red of his eyes almost luminous. "For leaving me when I needed you most." She said sitting back on the bed satisfied with nearly burning his hand off. The anger suddenly slid off his face and he starred at her. "I didn't leave you by choice. I was forced to." She sneered at him, it was just an excuse. "Believe what you want Rogue, but in the danger room when you reached out to me I was there. And then I was forced out. Ask anyone that was there, it was as if some one hit me with a hammer. Physically, I was thrown out of your reach. Mentally, whoever it was nearly killed me."

She sat up, listening properly. "But no-one could have done that. No-one here anyways." He raised his eyebrows at her and folded his arms. "Come Rogue, you're not that stupid. You know who could have done it." She scrambled out of bed angrily. "Don't even think about it, he wouldn't have done it. He would never have hurt any of us." He looked down at her standing in front of him. "You cannot be a naïve little girl forever Rogue, either you choose to admit that he is the only one powerful enough to do it, or you blame it whoever he chooses to blame it on."

She could have slapped him for how wrong he was. "That's what Storm meant wasn't it? You said it to her and she didn't believe you." He shrugged. "Storm does not trust Remy. She would rather believe her beloved Xavier that her old time friend Gambit." Rogue poked him in the chest. "That's because the Professor didn't do it."

Gambit grabbed her arms and shook her. "You stupid girl. Do you think you're powers have been evolving for no reason at all? He's pushing you with his mind, forcing you to invade people's minds in your dreams. You just blew up my lighter with a power you've never had before now. And you've nearly demolished the danger room two days ago. Did you think that was all you? He knows everything about you. And he's going to destroy you if you're not careful."

"He wouldn't do that." Rogue said weakly, not wanting to believe him. Even though it all made sense. No one else could have done it. No one else it that powerful. And it couldn't have been someone outside the school because the Professor had set up psychic barriers to stop attacks of that kind. It all came crashing down on her, but she tried her hardest not to believe it.

Gambit loosened her grip on her arms and took deep breathes. "I'm sorry but it's the truth. And is you don't do something soon then you're going to get hurt." Se was frozen. It couldn't be helped. She was frozen in one place. Gambit was wrong. He had to be. He hugged her to him and she squeezed him tightly. The suddenly Gambit pushed her behind him and she turned with his bow staff extended to whatever he had heard.

"I assure you Mr LeBeau I offer Rogue no harm. I'm just here to see if she's alright." Gambit froze for a second, undecided at what to do but Rogue pushed his hand down. "Sorry about Gambit Professor. He's just a bit grumpy after I blew up his lighter." She walked out from behind him and squeezed his arm while she went past, but he pulled her back into a hug. "Remember what I said." And then he left. Storm raised an eyebrow at him as he went past but he ignored her.

"Well Rogue." The Professor said smiling at her. "Maybe you could tell me what happened the other day. Because, quite frankly, I have no idea."


	18. chapter 18

Simple Submission

Chapter 18

Rogue had been dodging the Professor for days now. Claiming sickness and head pains. Spending all her time in her Logan's company as he had requested, but leaving the room when he entered. In her spare time she had started to build better psychic shields. Though she realised that she could never block someone as powerful as the Professor, but at least it would give her warning to an uninvited entry into her mind. Then she could……she could. _Aw shit. I am sooo screwed._

It was around 12 at night. And like any other student in the school, Rogue was in bed. Unfortunately, unlike most of the students, she wasn't sound asleep. However, since Gambit had left two days ago, she had barely got any sleep at all. She would go to bed early, glad to get out of the Professor's watchful eye, and then toss and turn for around six hours until she eventually drifted off.

Rogue wouldn't have minded this so much, if her thoughts didn't keep going back to the stupid Cajun's theory and how it revolved around her. Having six hours to think about this, was boiling her mind.

She screamed into one of her pillows, hoping to God that Logan didn't hear. He was only two doors away now, keeping a watchful eye on her even at night. Seconds later, Wolverine burst into the room, claws out and ready for action. "What's wrong? What happened?" She lifted the pillow away from her face and gave him dead eyes.

He starred at her, breathing heavily. Always slow to realise what was happening. "Does it look like there's anything wrong?" She spoke politely, her eyebrows raised, as f she was making polite conversation. He looked around, lowering his arms but keeping the claws out. "No." She sat up, feigning interest. "And was there anything wrong last night when you came charging into my room before?" He scratched his head and glared at her. A mixture of embarrassment and resentment at being treated like a child.

"Yeah alright. I get it. I'm being overprotective. But you gotta understand, there are people who want you dead. Or at least hurt enough to take you away." She rolled her eyes at him and tried not to be angry. "Yeah well maybe the line of who I can trust and who I can't is kind of fussy now. Maybe the person trying to kill me and kidnap me is closer than you think."

Immediately, she regretted what she said. "Oh God Logan-" She started. But he cut her off. "What's that supposed to mean?" She could almost see the arms raising by themselves. "I swear to you Rogue, I won't let anything happen to you. I would fight to the end for you." She was tempted to ask if he would protect her against the Professor, possibly the only man who could unlock his past for him. But she didn't.

She smiled at him, a genuine smile that he returned, while finally retracting his claws. " I love you Logan." She said truthfully, surprised at her own boldness. Logan, surprised but also pleased said, "I know." Waving his hand offhandedly. "Logan!" She almost screamed. "Alright," he said laughing at her face which was steadily turning red. "I love you too kid."

He touched her cheek slightly, smiling softly. The he coughed awkwardly. "God I'm wrecked. Right. I'm going to bed." He walked over to the door, but turned round before he left. "And remember, I'm only down the hall and if anything happens-." "Don't hesitate to scream or shout and you'll come save me. Right I get it. Now get out of my room!"

She glared at him and he glared right back, but he laughed when she blew a kiss at him and he finally left. Shut in her dark room Rogue smiled. Logan had never shown that kind of affection to anyone but Jean. It made her feel pretty damn special. _Now maybe I can get some sleep._ She rolled over and pulled a pillow down, hugging it to her. It wasn't exactly Gambit, but it was good enough.

She sighed deeply and let herself drift, opening her eyes tiredly every now and again out of habit. She must have only been asleep for a few seconds when familiar smells filled her senses. She opened her eyes and looked around for the source, not exactly sure what it was. Three cloaked shadows stood at the end of her bed, looking down at her. Now she was glad Logan kept such a close eye on her.

She opened her mouth to scream but one of the figures launched itself at her and covered her mouth, pinning her to the bed to stop her struggling. She tried to bite down, to get it to release her, but stopped when familiar eyes met hers. Red on black, who else could it be? _"Gambit_._"_ She tried to say, but he pushed against her mouth to stop her from speaking.

Shaking his head, he finally let her go, putting a finger to his lips to silence her. She was so surprised that he was with her that for a second she didn't move, but when he kissed her, just a slight touch of lips; she grabbed him and held him to her. The joy practically spilling out of her.

He pulled away from her when one of the other figures touched his shoulder. The figure, which turned out to be man, inclined his head to the other man who stood beside the door, apparently listening for something. He then touched his hand to his wrist, tapping the area of his watch. Rogue got the jist of it, _Hurry up_.

Remy nodded and pulled Rogue with him when he stood up. He touched the first man on the chest and said to Rogue very quietly so that she had to lean in to here; "Henri." 'Henri' brought her hand to his lips as a sign of greeting. Remy then pointed to the other man and said; "Lapin." She nodded at him and he bowed to her in response.

Finding this all very strange, Rogue turned to Remy for an answer. He smiled at her quizzical look and took out three knives and placed them between his fingers, creating claws. He then placed his finger to his lips again for silence. She nodded, understanding. He was trying to be quiet so as not to alert Wolverine. Good plan, since all that Logan seemed to be doing was listening out for danger. But it didn't explain why Gambit was sneaking into her bedroom. He was welcome here at the mansion, why come secretly? Unable to ask her questions, Rogue remained silent.

Simultaneously, Remy and Henri looked over at Lapin, who was making some discreet sign. Suddenly Rogue was picked off her feet and out back into bed, the covers drawn up aro9und her neck. She met Gambit's calm eyes, as he lay on the floor beside her bed. Blocked from any view of the door. Henri and Lapin had disappeared into thin air.

Then she heard them, footsteps approaching. They stopped outside her room and a knock at the door followed. "Rogue?" There was a pause and Rogue looked at Gambit for what to do. He raised his finger to his lips again and she rolled her eyes. _Of coarse, be silent. What else was I going to do?_

"Rogue. Are you awake?" It was Cyclops. At this thought Rogue felt a pang of guilt. She had been meaning to talk to him after the incident in the danger room, assure him she was ok. After Jean's death, he had been quite overprotective of her and Storm, unwilling to let either die like his wife. She should have talked to him, apologized or something. But Gambit kept his finger to his lips until he went away, apparently under the belief she was asleep.

"I didn't like doing that Gambit." She said, after standing up again. Henri and Lapin appeared again, both out of thin air. "And don't tell me to shut up." She hissed as quietly as she could when he put his finger to his lips. "Tell me what's going on or I'll start shouting for Wolverine to come." The grin that had been on Henri's face when he saw how Remy was being treated by a _woman_ slipped at her threat.

Remy frowned at Rogue and then whispered something to Henri in French, which Rogue took as _"Go and guard the door with Lapin."_ As that's pretty much what he did.

"Ask your questions." Remy whispered, standing closer to her which did not help Rogue's disposition. Thousands of possible questions popped into her head. Some important, most not. Finally she settled with one. "What are you planning to do?"

He smiled at her, pleased at her restraint on herself. "I'm taking you away from here. Where you can't get hurt." She starred at him, completely taken back. _Leave the school? Is he fucking insane?_ "Remy know this is hard for you chere but-" She backed away from him, realising how serious he was being. "I can't leave. I-my friends are all here. Logan, Ororo, Scott-I can't leave." He covered her mouth as her voice started to rise, and held her to stop her shaking.

"Chere you have to listen to Remy now. Remy been researching things, pulling up old contacts. Something's coming. Something big. And you're at the centre of it. Remy cannot let anything happen to you. He won't." His eyes held some kind of fire that made Rogue relax slightly in his grip, but she couldn't stop shaking.

"This is mad. This is crazy." She murmured, loosening Remy's grip on her. "Storm, Logan-The Professor would never hurt me. He loves me he couldn't." Remy looked at the terrified woman in his arms and sighed, pushing her hair behind her ear. An odd gesture, but comforting all the same.

"Remy found out something while he was gone. De Prof has paid a very thorough assassin to kill a student from his school." Slowly, realisation built in Rogue's mind. "He really wants to kill me." Remy shrugged, trying to make light of the situation. "It could be anyone." _But who else would it be?_ "The point is Rogue, if de man is capable of killing you or any of his other students, den he is capable of other things. That's why we're leaving."

Whispering from one of the other men from the door came over Rogue's head, and Remy answered. Though Rogue took no notice of it. Was the Professor really trying to kill her? Did he really want her dead that much that he would hire someone to do his dirty work? But it didn't make sense! Why was he pushing her powers so much, if he was just going to destroy any chance he had of using them?

Usually in a situation like this, Rogue's would start to panic. She would breath heavily and little sobs would come from her throat. But this was beyond her. No one had ever hate her this much. No one that she had trusted, or even loved had ever betrayed her so fully. This was beyond childish whimpering or utter shock. This time, she had gone to a very quiet that she didn't know she had. She was cold. Numb. _This time, its very, very different_.

She stood up and went to her closet pulling out some light clothes for travel. Knowing Remy, they were going somewhere far away, where they couldn't be found. She took her Xmen uniform with her as well. Just in case they were in a sticky situation which needed proper attire. She had no idea where she was going with Remy and the two strangers, so she packed light.

She made her way towards the bathroom, but Henri stopped her before she could get there. "We don't have time for that petite. You can change when we get out of New York." She looked up at him with dead eyes, emotionless and very scary. But his features did not change. He was not shocked or taken back, it made Rogue think about the kind of people he knew.

"I'm sorry Rogue, but mon frere is right. If we need to get you out safely we need to go now." Remy said, trying to ease the tension. She was about to come back with some sarcastic remark when she was once again lifted off her feet and placed somewhere. Henri pressed her tight against the cupboard, out of sight, while Remy and Lapin stood on either side of the door, ready for what was about to come threw.

This time, there was no knock. The door opened and someone large stepped inside, dragging a smaller person in with him. "Rogue?" Someone shut the door behind them and suddenly there was a choking noise. Rogue struggled against Henri's hold, trying to break free. "Stop it." She hissed. "It's one of my friends." There were a few French whisperings and then a sound of metal upon metal.

"Henri." A soft cry came from somewhere, causing the man in question to release Rogue and run towards the sound. Catching her breath from the struggle, Rogue stumbled over to the light switch and flicked it on. What she saw almost made her laugh. Everyone had stopped in the sudden change of surroundings and were now looking at her.

Apparently, Lapin and tried to strangle Pete, who had no reason to be here to Rogue's knowledge, by choking him from behind with a bo-staff much like Remy's. This may have been successful in pushing the giant into unconsciousness, if he had not used his metal to even out the fight. Now he was crushing Lapin against the wall while Henri had tried to release his companion. Lapin was still trying to strangle the giant, but without much success.

The other fight was slightly more one-sided. Gambit had the other visitor pinned against he wall with his bo-staff, (_those things are practically religious icons for these guys_) and was charging the weapon with his power. The other visitor was Bobby, which was the bigger surprise to Rogue. He was already iced up and was freezing Gambit's bo-staff in an effort to stop it blowing up.

"Rogue-?" Pete said, but was cut off by Lapin who slapped his hand over his mouth to stop him from making a noise. Remy, at the same, placed at hand over Bobby's who had opened his mouth to say something as well. Rogue froze and listened, terrified, for Logan's running footsteps down the hall. But none came. _Huh, maybe the Wolverine's getting old_.

Rogue ran over to Pete and placed a hand to her own lips to stop him from trying to speak. "Look, you have to be really quiet. I don't want Wolverine charging in and slicing everything in site." Pete looking at her quizzical and then shook his head to try and get off Lapin's hold on him. Rogue lifted his hand off and nodded to him.

"What's going on? Who are these guys?" He said, but he whispered. Rogue looked over to Remy, who shrugged and slapped Bobby, causing him to shut up. "Pete, there's something going on right now. And it's soo not good." She paused again, not sure how much she could tell him. "Someone's trying to kill me." His eyes widened and he opened his mouth again but she put a hand over it. "I'm not sure who it is, but I have to leave anyways. If only to protect the rest of you guys."

She watched it sink in and how he calmed himself. "O.K." She blinked at him. "O.K.?" Not exactly what she had expected, but good enough. Henri and Lapin seemed to get the acceptance as they let him go, but their weapons stayed out and Pete stayed in his mutant form.

Now to Bobby. She walked over to him, pinned to the wall, in mutant form and still restricted from speaking. "I know you and I aren't exactly the bestest friends at the moment Bobby, but do you think that maybe you could keep your mouth shut for a while. Please?" His eyes flickered angrily to Remy, then Pete who shrugged and then back to Rogue. He finally nodded.

Remy let him go, almost disappointed, and went to stand beside Rogue. "What are you guys doing here anyways?" Rogue said, taking Gambit's hand. An instinctive movement which caught Bobby's eye. "Pete was making me come down and apologize……for everything. Except now," He said, looking round. "It doesn't seem the right time." This surprised Rogue as she knew how proud he was. She was not expecting a second apology from the first.

"Well, thanks I guess." She said, smiling slightly. He returned the smile and then quickly let it go. At least it hadn't been fake. There was a short pause where Remy looked over Rogue's head to Henri and Lapin. "I think it is time to depart." Lapin said, glancing at the other two students. He looked as if he was sizing them up again. _Men!_

"It's alright." Rogue said. "You can trust them, they won't tell anyone, will you?" She looked at the two, pleading for the truth or even a lie. They didn't bite. "Look Rogue, whatever you're going through, couldn't the Professor or the other Xmen help. I'm sure we could track down who is trying to kill you." This from Pete, who was looking at her directly, as if trying to block the other strangers in the room.

Rogue sighed and picked up her stuff. "You wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you Pete. I just have to go it's as easy as that." There was a silence that Rogue took as comfortable, but it wasn't until Remy gently pulled her behind him and reached inside his coat for a weapon, did she realise that everyone was listening to more footsteps.

The door opened exposing Logan with his claws free and Storm behind him, her eyes white. "Remy LeBeau." She said, lightening crackling in her hands. "How dare you! I bring you as a guest into this house and you betray me?" Remy looked at her coldly and lifted his head in defiance. "You believe an old man over your oldest friend Ororo. It is you that betray me." Her eyes widened as she say the others in the room.

Before she could reply the Professor wheeled into the room, looking around him with polite greetings. "I suppose you are talking about me Gambit." The young man looked down at him coolly and Rogue tightened her grip on his hand. "Storm has told me of your ideas about me and I must congratulate you. You have a very large imagination." He then directed his gaze at Rogue.

"My dear do you really believe this young man? Do you really believe that I would do all those things that he says I would do?" Rogue didn't answer, instead she looked to the ground in shame. "I am not angry at you Rogue. I am angry at myself. It is my fault. I should not have been pushing you so hard and I am sorry for that. Can you forgive an old mans idiocy?" _How the hell am I supposed to stay angry at that?_

Rogue looked at the Professor helplessly and tightened her grip on Gambit's hand. She opened her mouth to say something but he held up his hand to stop her. "Before you answer there is something I have to tell you." He looked around at his students. "And this will affect all of you." He sighed and touched his hands to his temples. Behind his Storm reached for Logan.

"I am afraid that a former student of this school had died." Rogue's body stopped working and for a second she could not breath. She already knew who it was. She already knew what the Professor was going to say. "John." She whispered, falling to her knees. "John's dead." There were gasps from around the room as the reality hit Pete and Bobby that their former best friend had died.

For them there was grief and pain. For Rogue, there was a moment of human emotion and then she was back in her quiet place. Cold and numb. "Chere?" Remy had not known John apart from in the club, but he knew when Rogue was hurt. He pulled her to her feet and she let him. The rest of her was now alien.

She turned to the Professor, starring straight ahead. "I'm going to kill Magneto." No one else may have seen it, but the three thieves in the room had been trained from birth to notice something unusual. And seeing a smile play on the face of a man who was meant to be mourning the loss of a student, was very unusual.

_Wow that was long! For me anyways. I think I've broken my fingers. So Colette…hah! I've udated in record amount of time. Your turn my friend. SWAT_


	19. Chapter 19

Simple Submission

Chapter 19

Henri had been bored since his brother left. Nothing had felt right without Remy being there. He couldn't go to all their usual hang-outs without feeling a peculiar since of emptiness and he certainly couldn't chase down any of the assassins without his brother. That was just crazy.

Lapin was the same. Who was he to fence with if not Remy? Henri was hopeless and now that Mercy was with child, well. That was just stupid.

It was not that Remy was their whole lives. It was just, they had grown up together since childhood and it was like loosing your other half. Well, your other third. So when, out of the blue, Remy had called them both and announced he was in New Orleans they had jumped at the chance at meeting him again. It was not possible for him to stay longer than a few days of coarse. Jean-Luc would probably hunt him down and kill him. But it was better than nothing.

They had met in a bar in the back ends of the city. A homey sort of place with regular customers. Normally Remy wouldn't be welcomed into a bar like this since most of the business' in the city were owned by either of the two Guilds. But this bar was special. _Le Ombre_ was actually owned by Remy. A venture he had made when he was fourteen and had a couple of spare dollars hanging about.

They met in the back rooms held especially for only the best of customers. And the richest. Henri had vetoed one room for another, not really feeling the appeal of handcuffs and whips tied to the wall while he talked business. "Trust mon frere to know exactly what kind of sex this city needs." He had said, while hugging him. Remy just laughed and hugged him back.

Then they sat down to business. Not one to be patient; Lapin asked the first question. "What are you doing back Remy? You know what Jean-Luc will do to you if he finds you're here." Remy sat quiet and wiped the sleep from his eyes. It looked like he hadn't slept for days. "Remy what's going on? Do you need money?" Henri asked, annoyed at his brother's unwillingness to cooperate. They all laughed then when Remy pulled out a massive wad of $50 notes and a diamond bracelet. "Non Henri. I do not need money. I need help."

After that he explained everything to them. The Xmen, the old lunatic running the school and the girl. This was the part that Henri was particularly worried about. "I'm sorry homme but dis is just de Belle-Donna ting all over again. You know what's gonna happen. You're just gonna get hurt."

Remy shook his head and Henri could see the warning signs of a very agitated Cajun. "Non Henri dis is different. For one, deres no Julien." Henri looked at his cousin who shook his head. "I duno Remy. Dis Wolverine guy seems just like another Julien to me. Except with claws."

They all sat in an uncomfortable silence where no one wanted to speak. This had never happened before, it was unnerving. "Henri," Remy said, putting his hand on his brothers shoulder. "Remember the time you got drunk in Vegas and married Tulula?" Henri grimaced while Lapin started laughing hysterically. "De Polish transvestite." He said between breathes. Henri gave him a rather unpleasant look and shrugged. "Yea, so?" Not liking where this was going. "Who got the annulment through in record amount of time before either pere _or_ Mercy found out?"

Henri shifted uncomfortably and Lapin stopped laughing. "And Lapin, who got your woman out of the country before she was killed by the feds?" Lapin frowned at the mention of his ex-fiance. "And where is she now?" Remy continued. "Living the highlife in Paris with your son. Who, by the way, is only here today because of the Ferrari I stole." Henri put his hands up in defeat.

"Alright Remy. We'll help you. But we do it my way. I'm still de older brother here and I think you need t'be reminded of it." "Besides," Lapin added. "If we did it your way Remy we'd all be in our graves before sun break. And my way, well… lets not even go dere." The rest of the night consisted of many Bourbons, a few nice little girls running around here and there. And the makings of a very detailed plan that would get Remy his girl.

Or so that was the plan…

The Xmen sat in the Professors office with the three strangers vaguely drifting between them. All dealing with the grief in their own way. Storm stood in Cyclops arms, sobbing quietly on his shoulder, he was starring into space while absent mindedly stroking her hair. Kitty sat squashed into a corner of the couch with Pete kneeling behind her, whispering words of comfort while she nodded dumbly. Bobby and Jubilee stood beside them, Jubilee hugging Bobby from behind while he starred at the ground, his eyes red with unshed tears. Rogue and Gambit sat on the other end of the couch, Rogue sitting sideways on his lap while he rocked her and hummed soft tunes that calmed her. Wolverine wasn't far behind Strom and Cyclops, he had a hand on Ororo's shoulder but his attention was all for the two other strangers standing behind Gambit and Rogue.

"Remy's using his powers to stop deir emotions." Lapin observed quietly in French. Henri nodded, glancing up at his brother. "He don't know what they'll do if he lets them feel. Dat boy over dere," he said pointing at Bobby. "He needs to cry, but if he does everything he feels will come out. He's kept whatever's been happening to him locked up inside and if he lets go now, he won't stop."

Lapin nodded towards Storm. "She's the same. She's crying now but if Remy let his control slip she'd probably blow dis house down wit one of her twisters." They often did this, processed information between each other. It helped them remember the details and make sure both had all the information that was needed. 23 years on the job and you never know what you could miss.

"De Wolverine's a little more worrying. If what Remy says is right, den he could switch to animal form any second and guess who's gonna feel the blade mon ami."

"Dat Cyclops boy. He gonna be a problem. Second death this year. Even with the extra help, he not gonna hold. Keep an eye on him."

"What about de metal machine over there?" "He's harmless. More concerned about his girl anyways. He's not hurt enough to hurt anyone else."

"Speaking of the de girl, what you think? Is she just the sensitive type or are we gonna see some awesome display of power in the next few seconds?" "I'd say de boy got her number. She do anything serious, he's got her covered."

"And dat asian fille. Not much to worry about there. I'd say the only thing worrying her is the lack of attention she's getting from de iceboy. Tut tut."

They both looked at Rogue then, or at least the part of her head that they could see, since Gambit's body was blocking their view. "What are we gonna do?" Lapin said leaning on his bo-staff. Henri shook his head. "Dere nothing we can do. You heard what Remy said. He's the only thing keeping her sane right now. If he lets her go…I don't even know what's gonna happen." Lapin twirled the bo-staff between his fingers in nervous irritation, quite a fantastic trick, if anyone cared.

The door opened and the Professor rolled in bringing papers in his hand. He looked up at Gambit sharply. "That's enough Mister LeBeau." Gambit didn't reply. It was taking up all his concentration trying to keep the Xmen under control. The bald cripple turned to Henri and Lapin and smiled. "You two are immune to Gambit's powers?" If you had known Henri well, you would have seen the slight twitch of surprise come across his face, but the Professor didn't. And so what he saw on Henri, and Lapin's face was nothing what he expected.

"Not immune monsieur. Just used to it." If he's too stupid to realise Gambit can centralise his powers on a fixed group and leave out others, then no-one was going to tell him "What powers?" This from Jubilee who had finally broken contact with Bobby and was now helping Pete with Kitty. The other Xmen looked up, but all looked dazed as Gambit strengthened his hold on them. "Perhaps, mon ami, it would be best if they stay in this state, I would not want any harm done to your precious students." This from Henri who had put his bo-staff away. No need to alarm anyone.

"I'm sorry but I do not allow powers to be used on my students unless it is voluntary." Storm's head shot up, her eyes white. A lightening bold sounded in the distance. "Remy LeBeau, stop this at once. You have no right." Her voice was a deadly low, dreadful like the sound of a tornado. Now all the other Xmen had noticed something and were staring to stir out of their dream-like state. Their arguments were putting a strain on Remy as beads of sweat started to drip down his forehead.

"Let dem go Remy." Lapin whispered to his cousin. "It's Rogue that you need to keep. De rest can go fuck demselves." Remy nodded once and like a signal, everyone started moving again. "I'm gonna fucking kill you." Wolverine roared, bringing out the claws. "How dare you!" This from Storm who was now standing away from Scott, tears flowing freely down her face. The other Xmen made various comments to them, but with less conviction. Everyone except Kitty, Rogue and Scott.

"Calm down everyone please." The Professor said as he rolled behind his desk. "I'm sure Mr. LeBeau was only trying to help." He looked at Remy directly ahead of him. "Please remove your control from Rogue." Henri and Lapin looked at one another, sensing that this was not going to go down well. "Remy can't do dat mon ami." The Professor raised one eyebrow and Wolverine stepped up in front of him. "Do it." His voice strained, he was apparently beyond anymore vocabulary.

The obvious plan of action here was to let go of the girl, but Remy being the thick-headed ejgit that he is; refused. Logan's claws slid out very slowly just the same time Henri and Lapin reached for various weapons in their pockets. "Now." A random lightening bolt sounded in the background creating the effect of a western showdown…or a Westchester staring contest between a wolf and a thief.

"Super." Henri muttered, clutching the knife between his shoulder blades. "Come on Remy. I'd like to keep mes écrous for a few more years, merci beaucoup." An agitated silence followed this, where the only sounds heard were the growing strength of the wind outside and Logan's heavy breathing. Henri prayed softly, heard below a whisper. Don't let his brother be stupid. Please keep his testis attached to his body. Please…

Remy shifted slightly and put his lips to Rogue's ear. He started whispering things to her, looking at each Xmen in turn, pleading with his eyes. No one heard what he said, nto even Henri or Lapin. Wolverine should have, but apparently beyond common sense, all he did was snarl which made it hard enough to hear a normal voice let alone a whispered one. The whispering went on for several minutes as everyone watched with apprehension, nto quite sure what was happening.

"What's he doing?" Wolverine snarled at Henri. The Cajun just cocked his head and smiled like a good little Creole. "Charles?" Storm said to her teacher, ready to fight her old friend if necessary. But apparently the all powerful telepath had no more idea what was happening than anyone else. Finally Rogue lifted her head to show a very pale but dry face. No tears had been shed by the young woman, even though she had been affected most by the tragedy.

She looked straight ahead, possibly seeing something that no one else could. "Maybe we not alone." Henri whispered, playing games with the Xmen. "Maybe de spirit of you friend is right here. In this room…" Everyone ignored him, as he expected. Even his cousin didn't turn and chide his madness.

Rogue turned round to face Gambit and he smiled at her, running his finger along her jaw line. Henri and Lapin turned to one another in disgust, knowing what was going to happen next.

She kissed him, something soft and delicate that should have been private with no-one watching. Unfortunately, the Xmen weren't exactly known for their respect for people's affairs. It didn't last long, just a few seconds. Then Gambit's skin started turning that horrible shade of green and then vein started pulsing in his face. "Rogue!" Jubilee shouted, her eyes wide. Rogue had never purposely took that much power before and it scared all the Xmen.

Gambit's hands started shaking around Rogue's waist and his eyes bulged from their sockets. Wolverine gave a small twitch and then ran towards her with his hands ahead of him. But before he could reach her she broke away from the dying thief and turned towards him.

He stopped dead in his tracks and his face fell to that of a broken man. Rogue stood up, letting Gambit fall back on the couch gaping like a fish. As she rose Logan fell to his knees looking like he had seen a ghost. Everyone watched while Rogue started calmly at the knelt man, at her feet. Then something happened, something more alien and terrifying than any of the Xmen had ever seen. Wolverine started to cry.

The tears fell freely from his face while he starred up at Rogue, not scared, but horrified. He brought his hands up to cover his eyes as the sobs got stranger. "Logan?" Cyclops said, stepping forward. His first move since he had entered the office. He stood above Logan, just beside Rogue, starring. His face almost matched Rogue's. Empty. Lifeless. But he was more than a little surprised.

"Rogue, what are you-" Storm started, but then the mutant girl caught her eye and she dropped to the floor much like Logan and started to cry the same as him. One by one the Xmen dropped from where they were standing or sitting and started to cry, weep or blubber. All except Cyclops and the Professor.

"Scott. Stop her." The Professor said, wheeling out from behind the desk. "She doesn't know what she doing!" Cyclops turned Rogue towards him and looked straight into her eyes. She starred at him, much like the other Xmen but he just laughed and smiled an unhappy smile. "You can't find it Rogue. I buried it a long time ago." Wolverine snarled out of know where and his claws came out and went right through the ground. Rogue's face remained blank.

"Do you see what she's doing?" Lapin said to Henri from the floor. He was cradling Remy's head and to get him into a better position to breath. Henri nodded and continued to measure Remy's pulse. "She's using d'Xmen as her doorway for emotions." Henri sighed and dropped his brothers arm with a thump. "Idiot." He murmured and stood behind Rogue.

"Je suis desole, petit. But dis be necessary." He lifted his arm to smack her on the head, but out of no-where Wolverine jumped on him before he could touch her. Henri landed on the floor with a crash, cursing himself for not reacting quickly enough. He saw Wolverine's arm lifting and heard the sickening sound of when his claws emerged from his hands and then Wolverine was flung across the room and smashed into the bookshelf.

Henri flipped up and in one motion drew his bo-staff. Lapin stood beside him with his. "Merci." Henri said to his cousin before running over to Logan. "Stay with Remy." The Xmen were still in a state on the floor, crawling about with each other, trying to break Rogue's hold on them. Henri jumped on top of the book case and pushed it out from the wall with his bo-staff. It landed on Wolverine with a satisfying crunch and Henri rolled perfectly off it, allowing himself a small punch in the air for vistory before running back to him brother.

Then he felt a soft touch on his face and he froze. "Petite-" He said but stopped when he felt a familiar warm feeling spread across his face. The stupid girl was trying to blow him up with Remy's powers. Normally, when he kicked her away the right side of his face should have blown up without her contact. But the thieves guild had long ago discovered that Remy couldn't blow up organic materials and when he tried, all it did was warm up the person he was doing it to. "Merci." He said as she flew into Cyclops. It was always a nice feeling, and there was no need to be impolite.

"That's enough." Everyone stopped whatever they were doing. Frozen, but still living. It was a funny feeling. Especially since Lapin had been in the middle of speaking and now his face was at an awkward angle, making him look constipated. Henri would have laughed, if he was able to.

The Professor wheeled through everyone until he got to Rogue. Who was in the middle of being helped up by Scott. "I never though you could be this powerful. And we've only just scratched the surface." He touched her forehead and she dropped to the floor immediately. The old man starred down at her for a few seconds, his face not so happy. He shook his head and turned away.

"Now children, if you don't behave yourselves I might have to separate you." He wheeled back away from the damage and then let his lock on them go. Lapin blurted out what he had been saying, and then looked around embarrassed. The Xmen helped each other up and Henri even went so far as to hold a hand out for Storm who was at his feet. She ignored him and stood up accompanied by Peter.

Remy groaned from the sofa, not yet fully conscious. Snarling came from under the book-shelf and six claws ripped through the wood and Wolverine emerged with his shirt torn. He spotted Henri who smiled and waved, gave one howl and ran towards him. "Actually Wolverine the entertainment has finished, if you'd like to take a seat." Wolverine stopped and looked round at the Professor as if he was crazy. "He just-" He started but Charles held his hand up for silence. "Please Logan. If you sit now I'll make sure the danger room is made available to you all through the night. I'll have Paul create holographic images of Mr LeBeau just for you."He snarled at the Professor who only raised an eyebrow at him and watched as he took his place behind Storm, who looked just as angry as him.

"Now," the Professor said, surveying his office over templed fingers. "I suppose I'll just have to dip into my family's vast fortune to repair this damage. Unfortunately no amount of money of going to fix our Rogue." They all turned towards the girl in Cyclops' arms. "What do we do Professor?" This from the Colossal boy who was just starting to put away his metallic armour. "Well…I have put her in a frozen state. But I will have to wake her up sometime. And when she does, I'm afraid she will still have those powers she took from Gambit."

Everyone looked at the Professor, fright plain on their face. "We have to keep her isolated." Storm said, stepping closer to the Professor. "Yes, but where?" He said, starring at the girl's body as if she would give him the answer. "The Danger Room." Scot said, looking down at Rogue with a pained expression. "That way we can run some programmes. She can let her anger out on them."

The Professor nodded knowledgably. "Run some sessions with Magneto." Jubilee said looking around at everyone. "That way she can take her anger out on the bad guy. And get some training done as well." Everyone nodded and looked at the Professor for confirmation.

"Yes, yes of coarse. Very good my Xmen. Scott if you and Logan would please take Rogue took the danger room. Scott you choose the program. Make sure she comes to no harm. But whatever you do, stay out of the Danger room." The two men left the room and The Professor looked at Storm. "Ororo, cancel all training sessions and classes for today. The rest of you, round up all the senior students and bring all the students into the dining room. You are in charge. I trust you to make the right decisions."

Everyone left leaving Xavier and the three Cajuns. Lapin flopped down on the couch and started laughing hysterically. Professor Xavier glanced at him with cool eyes. "I fail to see what is so amusing." Henri rolled his eyes at his cousin and turned towards the Professor. "I apologize for Lapin. We have been trying to cure him if d'madness for years now." The Professor steepled his fingers and looked over a the black haired man. "Perhaps I can be of assistance." Lapin stopped laughing.

"Now down to business. I understand you came here hoping to bring Rogue and Gambit back home with you to New Orleans." Henri shrugged and smiled. "Thieves do like to steal tings." Behind them Lapin slapped Remy on the head a couple of times. An attempt to wake him up, or just punishment from dragging him to 'dis shithole', away from Amelia's caring hands.

"Well, I'm afraid that is quite impossible now. Rogue will need time to recover from today's mishaps." The Professor shuffled papers around on his desk. "Oui, but of coarse. Tell me professor, during today's mishaps, why did you wait so long to stop them? Not that we are not very grateful for you intervention." The Professor looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps this is not the right time." Henri said, standing up from leaning on the couch. "Is there anywhere we can take my brother?" The Professor closed his eyes for one second then opened them again. "I have called one of the students to take you to Gambit's room. Well you be needing rooms for the night?" Henri shook his head smiling. "No, that won't be necessary."

Lapin picked up Remy and threw him over his shoulder non to gently. "Merci beaucoup, Professor Xavier. Thank you for your hospitality. It is a pleasure to be among your Xmen. They are just as excellent as I thought. It is amazing how they came up with the idea of the Danger room all by themselves. They really do work as a team. It is quite rare to find that amongst people these days. But of coarse they have a wise leader to guide them, whatever way possible."

Lapin went out first and Henri bowed their way out of the room. "You tell him too much." Lapin hissed as soon as the closed the door. "I tell him just enough. He needs to know." Henri ran a hand through his hair and winked at the young mutant girl who had come to guide them. He glanced at the sleeping form of his brother. Wondering if he was really worth all this after all…

**OK, that was my most randomest chapter. It was soo not meant to go like that. I had loads to put into it. But the office thing went on for too long and I wanted you guys to really see how powerful Rogue is getting. When you review(please do!) ask me things your confused about and I swear I'll answer them all. **

**I'm in the middle of exams right now and that's why its been taking me so long to update. Sorry sorry. I'll try to update sooner next time. Once I egt my head round physics. Thx.**

**x**


	20. Chapter 20

Simple Submission

Chapter 20

**Questions:**

**texasgrrl-when Gambit and Rogue kissed, Rogue naturally absorbed his powers. Gambit has two powers; First; he's able to turn anything that's not organic into a bomb. His second is empathy. For my story I've made his empathic power quite a lot stronger than what it is usually shown as in the various comic series'. So, right now Rogue is going through a part of grieving where she can't, or won't show her emotions. However, whether she likes it or not, she still has feelings about John's death, so instead of breaking down and becoming an uncontrollable wreck, Rogue forced her emotions through the other Xmen. All her feelings came out, but she still had general control of herself. (Sorry I'm in total essay mood since my 2nd religion GCSE!)**

**MeWhoExactlyWhat- I'm tempted to say something else, but since I'm practicing religion at this very moment in time and I need to keep a Christian head on me……thanks very much. I'll add it to the rest of my faults.**

**Chica De Los Ojos Café-don't' worry. I got lost when writing it. Ok here it goes;**

After the Professor announced John's death, Rogue went into a state of shock where she went into that little place inside; some people find when someone close to them dies. This means she can't show emotion because she's too hurt and of course she can't talk to anyone. So all the Xmen have piled into Xavier's office so he can tell the people who don't know and so they can all deal with the grief and stuff. Gambit comes to deal with Rogue, and Henri and Lapin are there to look after their brother/cousin. Gambit controls all the Xmens emotions using his empathy but Xavier demands he stop it. Eventually Gambit releases all of them, including Rogue. He kisses her and she absorbs his powers. Using his empathy Rogue forces her own emotions, that she can't or won't display, through the rest of the Xmen. Henri tries to stop her but Rogue uses Wolverine to attack him. That's where the complicated bit comes in so read carefully. At the start of this story Rogue invades John and Logan's sub-conscious while dreaming. In the state she is in she has better controls over her powers because there's no pesky emotions spoiling it. So, by mixing Gambit's empathy with her own control over those she can absorb she can control Wolverine. Little scuff between Henri and Wolverine happens until Henri crushes Wolverine with a book case. Then Rogue tries to blow Henri up but since Remy's powers don't work on organic substances(I.e. flesh) she was unsuccessful. This just shows how out of it she actually is. Finally the all powerful professor Xavier steps in as he sees things getting out of control. He puts Rogue in a temporary coma thing, chastises Wolverine and sends everyone off on various missions round the school. Everyone makes the decision to put Rogue in the danger room as she's too dangerous to be exposed to the students or anyone else. When everyone leaves, Henri makes it clear to the Professor that he thinks the Professor is up to something with Rogue…which he is. The Professor agrees to let Lapin and Henri stay and they carry Remy back to his room. Clearer? Probably not…

**IvyZoe-he's allowing them to stay because honestly, have you ever seen Xavier, the good-natured fellow that he is, turn anyone away? Besides he doesn't want to make Rogue suspicious at this crucial point and if he orders them to leave they might find a way of taking Rogue with them. Not good for this little plan he's cooking up.**

**Rogue200315-I feel your pain.**

**cleric-ok when you reviewed I was having some serious problems with relationships. Which you made worse. Now I'm not blaming you, but really, couldn't you have made the blow a little softer. Like not done short paragraphs? I had a break down. So, thank you for your point, but if your reviews are all going to be like that then could you wait until I finish my story and then you can tell the whole website what you think. No offence meant of course.**

OK so I think I got everyone. Sorry that was a bit long. You should have seen my original try for a brief summary. Anyways…thanks to everyone for reviewing. Especially **A.M.bookworm247** my head has swollen to the size oh a small Punto.

Alright. On with the story.

Scott Summers looked through the control room's window to see a small body lying on a bed in the middle of the Danger Room. She had not moved in the last two hours that he had watched over her and the saying 'Dead to the world' kept on creeping around in his head. Ever the team leader, Scott managed to somehow blame this all on himself.

"If only I had looked after her better, paid more attention while she was growing up." But the other Xmen in the room disagreed. "Scott none of us could have foreseen this happening." Storm said placing a hand on his shoulder. "She's right bub, this isn't our fault." Wolverine's words were low and shaken. He blamed himself as much as Scott, he was just seeing more sense and trying to convince himself otherwise.

_If I wasn't so selfish about my grieving. I had two years. Two years to get over Jean, to move on with my life. But I'm so self-absorbed I didn't even think about the others around me. Especially the one who needed me the most._ For the first time since he put her down there, Scott turned away from the window. "We have to sort this out Professor. We can't just leave her like this. She's so…fragile lying down there."

The Professor nodded sympathetically. "Yes Scott, I want her back as much as you do but I cannot just wake her up and let her walk round with all this grief on her shoulders. With her new powers, she could take control of any number of students and who knows what she might do with them." He moved his chair and looked down on her, brows creased and thinking deeply. "I believe I could work with her, helping her understand her new powers and bring her out of this melancholy state. But with Magneto rallying support for what I suspect is his final attack I'm afraid that our time is severely limited and with the added task of training the newer members of our team, we will soon have to take her out of the Danger Room and bring her back to full-consciousness. "

The Professor sighed and turned to survey them all. "You have an idea." Storm said, recognizing the look on his face. He nodded unhappily and steepled his fingers. "I may be able to wake Rogue and keep her controlled. But it would involve my constant supervision of her." Logan, not quite understanding why that was a bad thing went over to the window to watch Rogue, leaving the adults to talk about the serious matters. It was Storm who picked up on the problem.

"You mean you'll be in her mind all the time?" She glanced at Scott who mirrored her own face. The Professor had never been happy entering a persons mind without their permission, but with the situation so serious… "I think the extremity of the situation, calls for extreme measures must be taken." He spoke slowly, as if checking with himself as he said each word. "If this is what it takes to beat Magneto and get Rogue back to what she was, then I see no problem in it." Xavier nodded at Scott, thanking him for his agreement. They both looked at Storm waiting for her judgment.

The weather goddess was confused. "Professor I know this is important but…" She stopped. _But you always told us you would never do it. Always preached to us how wrong it was. Always preserved our privacy. But with Rogue…It's different?…_ Both Cyclops and the Professor starred at her. "But…?" Her mentor asked. Storm looked at he man who had replaced her father, and felt ashamed. "But nothing. I agree with Scott. If you can help Rogue then I do not hesitate to give my full support."

They all then looked at Logan who felt their eyes upon him and looked around. "I don't care what you do, just bring her back." The Professor smiled, despite the situation. "Alright. It's settled then. I believe once she is safe in the protection of my mind she can operate almost as normal. This means she will be able to continue with her training and the progressing of her powers. She will be a valuable aid in the fight against Magneto."

"Then it's agreed." Scott said, relieved at the note of command in his voice. "There's still one problem however." He turned to Storm, apologies in his eyes. "Gambit tried to take Rogue away from the Institute and since he thinks the Professor is the bad guy here I'm pretty sure he's going to try it again. I'm not exactly sure what it is he has against the Professor but he will not let it go and since his involvement with Rogue has turned slightly more serious than a simple relationship he'll probably do anything he can to protect her. And his cronies aren't exactly push-overs. If he stays he'll endanger the mission and the people involved."

Storm sighed and looked at the Professor. "I am sorry that his presence has caused so much disruption in the school Professor. I truly believed he had changed. Obviously I was wrong. I will ask him to leave as soon as I see him awake again. What he was thinking by bringing Henri and Lapin here I do not know." Logan coughed from the window, covering a laugh. "Man like Gambit isn't gonna leave just cause you _ask_ him to. Your gonna need some kind of force to scare him off. Else he'll just keep on coming back until I have to kill him."

The Professor sighed, exasperated. "Yes, well I appreciate your input Logan and although I know you're just _dying _to send Mr. LeBeau on his merry way yourself, I actually know of a way that will ensure he does not some back any time soon."

Rogue woke up at 8.06pm one day after she had been put to sleep. She woke up in her bed, with the covers tucked around her neck and for the shortest of seconds she thought she was back, everything was fine. Logan was back. Gambit was here and John was…_dead_.

She could not see him but from his presence in her mind she knew he was behind her, on the other side of the bed.

_John is dead._

She starred ahead of herself, detached from her body and not needing to turn round to see him.

_He was murdered. Just another mutant in the thousands who will eventually die._

The image of John begging her to absorb him, to save him from the wrath of his master surfaced from her mind and she was unmoved.

_He was sacrificed by a heartless man with no soul_. _Just like countless before him._

She felt the pain soar through her body as the whip cut into her back over and over. She felt the push of John's mind, trying to force her out. Trying to save her.

_And who is it that did this? Who is it that strives to break everything I have accomplished? Who is it who plants obstacles every step of the way, stopping me from achieving the thing that will help this world so much? Who killed John? _

A very inhuman growl came from the 18 year old girl lying on the bed.

_What is the name of the man you're going to kill?_

"MAGNETO!" On the table at the end of the room, the candle that the Professor had asked be placed there, went up in flames. Professor Charles Xavier watched the candle melt and then looked over at the back of the young woman who was going to stop all the suffering by stopping one monster.

Erik, his one time friend, was going to die. Xavier left the girl alone with her thoughts and wheeled out of the room. Once the door was shut however he buried his head in his hands. If he just kept on telling himself that after it was done all the obstacles would go away and he would finally achieve mutant/human world peace, then he could sleep at night.

Henri was angry. Very angry. Mostly at himself and at his stupid brother for dragging him into this mess. But the biggest thing annoying him at the moment was the fact that he and Lapin, had underestimated the Xmen. When they had gone to Gambit's room with the decision to stay put, at least until everyone was asleep, they had assumed that the peace-loving Xmen wouldn't try to hinder them in any way. Unless of course they happened to come across the not so secret lower levels of the school. Something they had extensive knowledge about because of Remy.

However, despite his Aunt's constant nagging is his ear reminding him "Never assume cuz you make an ass out of you and me," He had done exactly that. "So what now Henri? I don't like bein no one's prisoner." Lapin was sitting on the bed, anxiously twirling his bo-staff and keeping his back firmly to the door. Henri shrugged, restraining himself from throwing a chair at his cousin. It was as much Lapin's fault as it was his.

He turned slowly to face the window, concentrating hard to keep his thoughts on a plan of escape. But once his mind registered the double-plated glass he immediately decided against it. _Why would I want to leave anyway?_ He slumped on the chair next to him and smiled pleasantly, turning back to Lapin. All thoughts of staying in the god-forsaken mansion left him and they looked gravely at each other.

"It happened again?" Lapin asked, already knowing the answer. "You know its times like dese I feel like contributing a very large sum to de 'Friends of Humanity.'" Annoyingly enough this wasn't the second, third or even forth time they had had these sudden changes of heart about leaving the Xavier Institute. In fact it had begun around three hours ago when they had first entered Remy's room. Every time either one of them turned to the points of exit in the room, their thoughts suddenly changed as if nothing had happened. It was like magic.

Or…it was likely some mutant kid had been told to keep them in their room the easiest way possible. "Telepaths foutus!" He swore, gripping the chair tightly to avoid throwing it across the room. Then, from his brothers unconscious form he heard a slight groan. "Remy?" Nothing. "Wake him up," Henri said shortly, tired of this bull-shit. "I've had enough of this." Lapin smiled, reached across and slapped Gambit quite hard across the face.

Gambit rolled off the bed and reached for the cards in his right pocket to warn off his attacker, and found nothing. "Jésus." He said, passing a hand over his face, he dropped to his knees and let his hands fall to his sides. "I feel so weak." Henri was unsympathetic. "That's nice. Look mon frère, we have a problem." Lapin nodded, "Un _grand_ problème."

Gambit stood up with help from the dull coloured wall to his right. "De Xmen?" Henri nodded and gestured to the door behind him. "Your telepaths have us trapped here willingly." Gambit looked at him confused, then turned to the unoffending door behind him.

The changes of expression in his face were almost comical. First he smiled, that same pleasant grin Henri had experienced when he had first encountered the door. Then, it was as if two emotions were trying to show at once; anger and tranquility. He started to move slowly, as if wading through a bowl of thick jelly. He reached for the door, the veins in his arm standing out because of the strain.

It looked like he was going to get the door open, but just before he touched the handle he spun round and grinned manically at them both. Henri looked at his cousin for his verdict. "Well," Lapin said uncertainly. "He got further den both of us together. Probably because of dat handy power of his. Tante Mattie said she thought it was some kind of mind power didn't she? Maybe he able to use it against de other one." Henri nodded. "Would make sense if his empathy made it easier for him to resist."

"When you gonna stop talking bout me s'if I'm not here?" Gambit asked, scowling at them. "Sorry." Lapin said grinning, "We thought you were still in Loo-Laa land." Gambit gave him a withering look and turned to his brother. "I can do it. Just need more energy." Henri shook his head. "We don't have time for your recoup. De fact dat dese Xmen of yours are trying to keep us in one place makes you think deyre planning something dey don't want us interfering in. We need to-" But Gambit raised his hand for silence.

He could feel Rogue. She was awake. She was Ok. He could have cried with relief. But something was wrong. He felt her scream and felt her hate. "Non," he said, understanding what had happened. "Quel?" Henri said, sensing his brothers anguish. "It's Rogue. He's got her."

Rogue was in her room when Remy came in. "I sensed you coming." She said, when he stepped out of the shadows. "I know," he said softly, hating the monotone of her voice. "My powers are growing." She said, without turning to him. Her head hung as she talked to him. "The Professor thinks-" She began to say but Gambit jumped in front of her and shook her. "Rogue! De Professor is using you. He's using you to kill Magneto." But she paid no attention to him, instead she took a deep breath and started again.

"The Professor thinks that now that John is gone that I've inherited his powers. He thinks that because I can conjure fire, instead of just manipulating it the way John used to, means that if John had…_lived_… then he would have eventually been able to do it as well."

Gambit starred at her in horror. She was just an empty shell. "Rogue…" She looked up at him and he could see in her eyes her grief and her sorrow. "Chere…you have to believe me. You gonna get yourself killed if you let him use you like this! He's using you. He-" But Rogue covered his mouth with her ungloved hand. For a second he thought she was going to absorb him again but the pull of her skin never came.

"I know Remy." She whispered, starring at him with those sad eyes. "I know he's using me to kill Magneto. But right now, I see no reason why I shouldn't just follow his lead." He started to say something but she pushed tighter against his mouth and shook her head. "Look at this. Look at what I'm doing. I can touch you. I can control my power, the thing that has cursed my life." She then held out her other hand in front of his face and in her palm, created a small ball of fire.

"I'm in charge. I do what I want. I can feel you right now. Not just physically. I can feel your emotions in my mind, taste your pulse on my tongue. I'm mixing the powers I stole from my friends with my own. And everything I can do now is because the Professor helped me. Pushed me to this level of control. I owe it to John, to myself and to everyone else Magneto has ever harmed to kill him."

Remy was so stunned he did not speak, not even when she removed her hand from his mouth. She spoke for him. "_Je reve de toi_." He starred at her, not comprehending what she said. "You said it to me the first night you came." He slowly nodded, remembering when he found her in the garage. Alone. And in need. "What does it mean?" He stroked her face, marveling at her innocence even at this time of brutal agony.

"It means that I dream of you. Every night. You are my comfort Rogue. I need you." One single tear passed down Rogue's face as he kissed her. "J t'aime." He whispered seconds before her door creaked open and the Professor wheeled in.

"Good afternoon Mr. LeBeau. Are you ready Rogue?" Gambit looked to her for an explanation. She smiled weakly at him. "Thank you Gambit. You gave me what I needed the most. But right now I need to concentrate on Magneto and I just can't do that with you distracting me." Remy opened his mouth to say something but just then Cyclops and Wolverine walked in, followed by a white eyed Storm.

"Goodbye Gambit." Rogue said touching his face softly. Then she stepped out of the way. Weighing up his options, Remy could see this wasn't going to end well. "Remy LeBeau," Storm called, raising slightly from the ground. "You are no longer my friend and I no longer yours. I wish you ill favor in life for the turmoil you have caused here." Gambit felt a strong breeze picking up, traveling in his direction. "You will find your brother and cousin outside waiting for you. Goodbye."

The strong breeze that he had felt turned into gale force winds, throwing him into the air. He screamed Rogue's name as he flew backwards and then felt a screaming pain soar through his back as he came into contact with the window. The last thing he remembered was hitting the ground and seeing his brother and his cousin running towards him. Then his own voice reminded him dryly in his mind; _this is the second time you've been unconscious in one day LeBeau. You're going soft in your old age…_

Whoa. That was pretty long. Sorry about the wait kids. I hope this is to your liking. Oh and by the way, I wrote the answers to my reviews in June, so they're slightly out of date. Thanks for sticking around while I got my act together. X


	21. Chapter 21

Simple Submission

Chapter 21

Two weeks had passed. Not a very long time. But in those two weeks a lot had changed. Professor Xavier was no longer Headmaster of the school. He told the students he was having a temporary leave of absence, just for a little while. All the senior Xmen followed suit. He employed some friends of the Xmen, experienced enough to aid in the fight against Magneto, and smart enough to teach the students. However, it seemed to be a poor show. Perhaps, not as many people agreed with the Professor than thought. And the teachers that did turn up didn't seem whole heartedly pledged to the cause.

The Beast had turned up the day after Gambit…left. His cheery disposition would normally have caused Rogue to befriend him, enjoying his laughter and bad jokes. But since her training had started, she had concentrated more on her mission and less on her friends. Once he had tracked her down and had asked to speak with her about her health. Although the questions were normal and Rogue saw no hidden meaning behind them, he had seemed to get a lot out of them and starred at her in amazement.

"You are an astonishing young woman Rogue. And to think, I have just had the pleasure of you company. Please, call me Hank." She had accepted his handshake but had left it at that. Finding no reason to search him out other than a few painkillers for that time of the month. He was a nice enough person, but on completely different page from where Rogue wanted to be, and that was a _big_ difference.

Another teacher, Emma Frost, was a complete mystery. She seemed too regal to work in the school and was not liked by the Xmen. But she came anyway. It seemed she enjoyed irritating them with her arrogance and witty comments. Her provocative lack of clothing annoyed all the girls and led to a few hearts being broke amongst the students on the first day. Also, there seemed to be some kind of underlying tension between her and Storm, and if you walked into a room with them together, you nearly suffocated with the static electricity and residue of telepathy.

For the little time she had known her, Rogue had both been disgusted and intrigued. Their conversations usually involved deep thinking on Rogue's part and her mind being opened to new and interesting facts that would never have occurred to her without a little push in the right direction. What was slightly shocking was Ms. Frost's lack of respect for people's privacy. Xavier had always asked permission to enter a persons mind, but Ms. Frost simply barged in uninvited. Once Rogue had found her searching her memories of Gambit with a great deal of curiosity. Unfortunately for her, Rogue had being trying to forget Gambit, and since this was in total violation of her decision Rogue reacted violently.

She drew up her memories of the whipping she had taken from Magneto and sent them back along Ms. Frost's trail of thought, resulting in the Queen dropping to the floor and screaming in agony in front of her Physics class until she was able to retaliate.

She didn't draw a particular torture from her mind, but instead sent back excruciating pain which shot through all of Rogue's body and left her semi-conscious on the floor. Rogue gathered the little strength she had left, not thinking of what she was going to do, or how she was going to do it. But she somehow threaded the little power of mind together with her power of fire and sent the whole thing back along Ms. Frost's thread line. The thought that she was attacking a teacher never entered her mind.

Later, after they had both been released from the Med-Lab, Ms. Frost had taken her straight to the Professor's office. "What have you done to this child?" She screamed at him when they walked in. "Look," Rogue said, feeling completely at ease. The Professor wouldn't blame her, surely?. "If you hadn't entered my mind without-" But Ms. Frost didn't seem to be interested in what Rogue had to say. "She manifested fire through her mind and threw it at me. If I hadn't broke off the contact between us I would have been burnt from the inside out! There is no way her powers could have manifested this quickly without interference." She starred, challenging him. "Answer me Charles!" She demanded.

The Professor sat with his fingers steepled, looking deep in thought. "What were you doing in Rogue's mind, Emma?" He said it quietly and blinked only once. She drew back slightly, raising an eyebrow at him. "I was simply trying to get to know better your new obsession, Charles. See what she held that is of such interest to you." He nodded as if she had made an interesting point and blinked again. "And what did you find?" Ms. Frost starred at him, honestly not comprehending his answer.

"Charles what are you doing to her? Her mind is a maze leading nowhere. And you! You've become…different since the last time we spoke." She looked hurt, and for once she had forgotten about looking down her nose at people. The Professor looked at her for a long while, until finally her normal arrogant look returned. "I will only say this once Emma; go into any of my students minds' again and the consequences will far outweigh your actions."

After that Ms. Frost had avoided any sort of communication with Rogue, which, if she was truthful with herself, hurt her slightly. Was she turning into such a monster that even an arrogant pratt like the White Queen couldn't stand to speak with her?

Emma Frost, however, had no intention of forgetting Rogue. Instead, she had been watching her, talking with other teachers and confronting the Xmen about the Professor's plan. But all she got back was that Rogue had been through trauma and that she needed the Professor's help. Even Wolverine was keeping a tight lip about the whole affair. But if they thought this would put off a woman like Emma Frost, they were wrong. So she looked for outside help.

Since he was gone Rogue had kept herself busy. She did not understand how she could have become so reliant on him in such little time but if she stopped only a minute, her thoughts would go right back to him and all the hurt would resurface. Not good for a person trying to concentrate on keeping her emotions under control. So she blamed it all on Magneto. If he hadn't killed John then she wouldn't have become an empty-shell and Gambit would still be beside her.

She trained every day, sometimes with the other Xmen and sometimes without. And she took a new power whenever she could. Jubilee's, Kitty's, Peter's and Bobby's powers were hers. But before she could move onto the senior Xmen's powers she had to learn how to control the other's.

It was slow starting but after the first two powers, it had been a breeze. Now she was trying to control all at the same time. She could use the two conjuring powers together and even Kitty's phasing, but it was using Pete's body armour simultaneously that was giving her problems.

At night she was nakered. Dropping into bed and falling asleep soon after. But this was the time that she cleared her head of thoughts, all except one that refused to go away. "Gambit" She called out to him, searching through the darkness of night, intending to possess his body. No such luck.

"Chere." He responded gravely, sensing her presence in his mind. "Hello Gambit. How are you?" They could see each other in a sense, not physically, but mentally, and she could feel his emotions; controlled under a bed of rocks. He was holding back from her. "As well as can be expected, Remy suppose." There was a pause where Rogue wondered what she was doing, how stupid she was being. But Gambit felt it and before she could break the connection he reached out and touched her mind, searching for any kind of thought that _his_ Rogue would have. But found nothing.

"I'm sorry Gambit. About everything. I never wanted any of this to happen. If only Magneto hadn't-" But he cut her off and for a second he felt his repulsion that he was blaming everything on the Master of magnetism. "Gambit see your powers have grown again chere." She was hurt by his dismissal of her belief, but if he felt it, he didn't say. "Yeah." She said, blocking out his thoughts from some parts of her mind where he was unwelcome. "So have yours. I wasn't able to control you the way I have John and Logan. How come?" He laughed through both their minds, echoing it until she felt a small twinge of a headache forming back in her body. Wherever she was now, she couldn't feel the pain.

"I have made a pact wit de Devil." Eventually came his reply, which was nothing short of cryptic, something which annoyed Rogue intensely. She was quiet, trying to work out what he mean until she gave up and felt the worse part of the whole situation come up. Their separation. "I wish things had turned out differently Remy. With you, I was really…happy." She felt him sigh and reach out to her gently. She was just a girl really.

"Tings happen for a reason girl. It's up to us t'decide whether to accept it, or fight to change it." But she disagreed with him. "It's too late to change things now. Magneto will die for what he's done and I'll be the one to kill him." Complete silence followed this, such empty thought that Rogue feared that he had broken their connection and had left, but he simply sighed.

"Just remember chere, whatever you do, you always hurt the ones you love." Somehow this put fear in her heart. "Remy, promise me you won't do anything stupid. Promise you won't try to go up against the Xmen. They'll-" Again he cut her off. "Remy gotta go now Rogue. He got business to do." She tried to hold him back put he slipped out of her thoughts so easily and left her with one single thought. "Je reve de toi."

Gambit picked up the glass of bourbon and took a large gulp of the fantastic liquor. "You know mon ami, I look at alcohol and I know there is a God. Someone has to put us out of our misery once and a while." The man across the table from him didn't look amused. "Did you get the information?" Gambit nodded and looked up at the steel ceiling, trying to clear his head. When he didn't answer the man got impatient. "Mr LeBeau-!"

Ever the laid back type, Gambit answered sounding as lazy as possible. "He's gone further with de training. She has more dan one power now and can use 'em at de same time. She has enough to take down Shakedown, runner boy and your daughter. She gonna flatten your precious brotherhood if you don't get some help."

Small metal balls started to float round the room, close to Gambit's head. "And you would like to volunteer for the position?" Gambit shook his head. "_One_ of the positions. You in no way ready de attack de Xmen got lined up for you. You gotta build a whole army of mutants. Xavier's crazy. He'll use de whole school if he has to. Anything to see you go down."

Magneto starred at him hard, trying to work out his alternative motive. "On the phone you mentioned more news for me. So far you haven't told me anything I had not already suspected. Apart from your recommendation which I will take into account." Gambit wondered how anyone could like this pompous ass sitting in front of him. He thought of throwing a charged card directly into his face or pulling a Jedi on him, and changing his view of things to suit Gambit's own agenda. But pushed it away without luck. Wouldn't have worked anyways.

"I know who killed your boy." Magneto raised an eyebrow at him and allowed the balls to swing closer to Gambit's head. "Pietro is just fine-" Gambit scoffed. "Not dat one. Pyro." Remy scowled as he remembered seeing the pyrokenetic for the first and last time, in the arms of Rogue.

Magneto's eyes bulged. "How?" Not straight to the culprit, Remy liked that. "I got mon frere Henri talking to the Guild of Assassins. Any assassination goes down' dey know about it." _And have probably done the dirty deed themselves_. But he left that last part off.

"Dey have proof of a contract from right here in the Big Apple." Remy snarled the last, crucial piece of information. "From Greymalkins Lane."

Magneto leaned back in his chair, looking unconvinced. "Back to my friend Charles? He wouldn't have been so stupid as to leave a trail straight back to his precious school. You must be mistaken Mr. LeBeau." Gambit roller his eyes and slid a folder of documents across the table to him. "Dats all the proof you need. Bank statements, Phone bills, everytine. De bastard did it, and I want to do something about it." Magneto smiled at him. "Well I can give you the tools and the back up you need Mr. LeBeau, but that's only if I think you're as crucial to my brotherhood as I think you are."

He let the steel balls drop to the floor causing a clank that perturbed Gambit none. The Cajun starred at the madman with a taste for dramatics and felt his face drain of emotions. "I'm goin to kill Charles Xavier wit or witout your help. You got notin' to loose by taking me on board, and I can even offer to train up de juniors on de team. From what I've seen, they need all the help dey can get."

Magneto watched him for a number of seconds, seemingly making up his mind or perhaps trying to psyche Gambit out. If that was the case, too bad. After a while though, he smiled. "Welcome to the brotherhood of mutants Gambit. You are now member of a select group in my organisation; 'The Acolytes'." He steepled his fingers much like Xavier and smiled. "Meet Mystik." He waved a hand and the steel wall to the right of him slid back to reveal a slender woman with skin like toxic blue. "Bonjour Gambit." She said, sliding along behind him to get round the table to Magneto.

"Touchy-feely kinda person, non?" She smiled seductively at him and placed her hand on Magneto's shoulder. The old man watched Gambit' face for reaction but seeing none he looked slightly disappointed. "She is my most trusted one and any order from her you take it like its me." Gambit leaned back on his chair and shrugged. "Gambit be a lousy follower. More of a free-agent really."

Gambit had time to see Magneto's face like a thunder cloud before the chair he was sitting on was literally lifted out from under him and he was flat on his ass. He bounced up, bo-staff and cards at the ready, but instead of an attack from the woman, a large white tiger sat on the table watching him with hungry eyes. Magneto smirked at him. "Well from now on Gambit, you are no longer a 'free-agent'. You are my thief and you better learnt to take orders quickly. Mystik doesn't like incompetence amongst her staff."

The tiger growled at him and jumped off the table so that he had to move back or be flattened. Magneto got up to go but turned round and waved a hand in Gambit's direction. "Oh by the way Gambit, while you are under my leadership you will call me Lord Magneto. Do you understand?"

He walked out then and after pacing once across the room and back again, watching Gambit the whole time, the tiger bounded after him.Gambit had the rest of the evening to ponder who was more crazy; Magneto or Xavier. Then his brother rang.

"Remy, we got a new visitor. The White Queen. And she wants to see you." Gambit rolled his eyes. "Tell her I'm busy." He heard her voice mumbling in the backround. "She says it's about Rogue and if you don't come see her, you gonna be convinced you a petite femme for de rest of your life." The threat wasn't even needed. But it had a nice effect.

**Yes, Yes. I know. I'm one lazy Son of a Gun. But now it means Colette can finally update. YAY. That chapter was weird but don't judge me by it, I'm still trying to wrap things up for the end and I'm planning a sequel. It takes time you know…thanks for everyone's reviews.**

**OH and one more thing. I'm goin to Canada on Friday" YAY.**

**Catty.x.**


	22. Chapter 22

A few notes;

(1)I've seen the 3rd movie (and I won't go into how disappointed I was with Rogue and the lack of Cyclops) and I know that Kitty is really like, teenage bitch. My Kitty is a lot nicer. Probably based on Kitty from Xmen: Evolution. And since I started this way before Xmen3 came out, I don't feel like adapting the new character, especially since I don't think the screen time should have been wasted on her.

(2)Funny story, turned out my mum actually is a leprechaun called Paddy and she took me away for a couple of months to a magical world…magic.

(3)That's why I haven't updated in ages…Sorry.

(4)More Ms. Frost and Gambit interaction will come.

(5)Tasty.

Chapter 22

Rogue woke up screaming with her hand between her legs and the feeling that if she let go of the bed, her whole body would float away. She felt the warmth of a blush course through her whole body, as the realisation of what had happened hit her.

Miles away, in a bed soaked with sweat, Remy LeBeau woke up at the exact same time, after the exact same _experience_, with a similar kind of feeling between his legs. He groaned at his erection and turned to the other side of the bed as if she were truly there. "Oh Rogue," he laughed. "Was it good for you too?"

The connection was broken by a shirtless Wolverine breaking down her door. She screamed and drew the covers up to her neck. "What happened?" He demanded, glaring round at her room. "N-nothing" Rogue said, starring at his naked chest. He looked at her critically, then stopped and sniffed the air. "Was there someone in here?" He said, frowning at her. She couldn't do anything but stare.

Her mind had just registered her nakedness, when she was sure she had gone to bed in pyjamas. How did that happen? He walked over to her and sniffed the air around her, making her draw the sheets even further around her neck. Not good to have a slightly naked teenage crush so near after so much sexual energy.

He leaned close to her, towering over her with his nothing-but-muscled body. "Logan…" She whispered, gripping the sheets, afraid of what she might do with this new found feeling. "I smell…Gambit" He gripped her arms tightly. The touch was almost too much. "And _sex_." She gasped as he tightened his hold around her. _He grabs the same place every time. I just got rid of the last bruises_. She gasped, pushing the thought of simply burning a hole through his head, just to stop the humiliation…but still…the _temptation_.

"Did he…? Did you…?" Logan's eyes burned into her own and she was reminded exactly why she had dreamt about him nearly every night since he had left. The temptation…"Logan…_please_." She felt the energy building inside her. "I can't-"

"Wolverine! Control Yourself!" There came a sudden static from the doorway and both turned to see Emma Frost and Storm at the door, both their eyes glowing with anger. Rogue could _feel_ it. "Let go of her Logan!" Storm said, taking one step towards him. Rogue looked at the White Queen, conscious of a sudden change in her emotions. Shock and…._satisfaction_.

"Come on Logan." Storm said cautiously. "Just calm down." But before Logan had a chance to move a diamond form flew past Storm and dug her fist into Logan's stomach so that he flew across the room.

"Emma!" Storm shrilled. "What are you doing?" But the White Queen ignored her and stood on Rogue's bed, a slightly safer, higher ground from Wolverine, and an imposing one. "That's enough Logan." She said in her most aggressive tone, not the usual honey coated malice at all. "What are you some sort of pervert?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Logan growled claws out; ready for anything. "This girl is too young and too much in love with someone else to have time for some old fool like you." Storm looked from one, to the other, to Rogue who hid her head in her teachers arm. "She's a woman Logan, a fully fledged Xman if you don't mind. And she could probably pull you from limb to limb in a fight, so don't think she needs your protection anymore." Emma lifted her diamond hand and looked at the blood on her fingernails. "You've made her into your perfect little killing machine, aren't you proud?"

Logan starred at her and then at Rogue whose eyes were burning with tears. "Accept it Logan." Frost said, as cool as ice. "And then get the fuck over it."

When his claws retract you know he's broken. Something that his animalistic will to kill everything in sight can't break through. He put his hand over his eyes and breathed deeply. Maybe the years were taking a toll on him after all.

"I'm sorry." He whispered and then tore from the room.

Emma made to go after him but looked back at Rogue. "You. Don't move. I'll be back for you." Then she ran too.

**2 weeks before**

Remy had been involved with many women in his life, more than he could count. Sometimes he went to them when they were lonely, sometimes because they needed to be taken down a peg or two. But it was mostly for his own sweet pleasure. He knew every curve of a woman's body, every trick to make then fall in love with him for one night. Imagine his surprise when his tricks worked none on Emma Frost.

"Please Mr. LeBeau, I could almost take you use of empathy on me as an insult." Remy finally frowned as his last attempt to gain the upper hand of the situation failed. She laughed at the look on his face. "That's the first real expression I've seen from you all night. When I first came in you were all meaningful smiles and sleek charm." Then she flicked a hand negligently. "Unfortunately I can't read your mind so I had to rely on my own senses to rat you out. If we had more time I'd love to match my own witty charisma with your Cajun allure. But I'm here to do business."

He flopped onto the chair and stroked the pack of cards he held in his right hand. "Well tell me dis Ms. Frost, a business woman such as yourself wouldn't just give up her weakness without a very big Ace up her sleeve. So why tell me you can't read my mind?"

The striking blonde woman shook her head and sighed, checking her nail polish for chips. "I have been a very bad woman in my life Mr. LeBeau, very bad indeed. A recent tragedy in my life had triggered an epiphany, if you like, and I am trying to reconcile for my mistakes." She looked directly at him. "Do you understand Mr. LeBeau? I am trying to be a good person."

Remy smirked at her, leaning forward so that their faces were but 2 cm away. "Imagine a White Queen having feelings for someone other den herself. 'Specially bein shocked at de death of her lil' Hellions, when de others she caused didn't even make a scratch on that diamond skin of yours."

Her eyes flashed and he watched, unmoved, as the diamond form around her eyes.

"If you know who I am, then you know what I can do." Gambit snorted in disgust. "Yeah, Remy know who you are." He sneered. "And he know a White Queen does nothin' for no-one, unless it suits your own master plans."

She placed two fingernails under his chin and pushed her razor sharp, diamond fingernails into his skin. "You're right of course; I do want something out of this. You've been at Xavier's school; you've seen the damage he's been causing." Gambit shrugged, taking care not press down on the razors placed under his Adam's Apple. "And?"

She pushed her fingers further up and he felt the skin breaking. "No one wants any more unnecessary deaths, least of all me. And if you want you precious Rogue back then you'll have to work with me."

Gambit frowned at her as he pulled away from her cut-throat fingernails. "What makes you think Remy need _your_ help?" She looked at his blood on her nails. "You don't really think your little midnight connections are going to help do you?" He looked at her sharply. "How did you-?" She shrugged and her diamond form started to fade. "I got a vague impression from the parts of her mind that isn't quite as well guarded as the things Xavier's been teaching her."

He ran his hands through his hair and took out a packet of cigarettes. She eyed them distastefully. "Well I think that's my cue to leave." She stood and slung on her long white coat. "When you do decide you need my help Mr. LeBeau, and you will, I'll know. Until then," Her eyes swept the threadbare room. "Just keep on doing…whatever you do." They smiled a pleasant smile for each other and then she left.

**Present**

Rogue closed her eyes and blocked out the voices of Ms. Frost and Scott from her mind. She played over the flashbacks of the night before, careful not to re-establish the connection with Gambit. It was…There are no words to describe it. She could feel her body reacting even now, just thinking about it. _Ecstasy_. Pure ecstasy. _I bet the drug isn't as good as that_. But it wasn't even physical, so how could it have been so amazing? If they were ever together like that for real…would it be better?

"Jesus." Rogue muttered, crossing her legs to quash the feeling. A night alone with Gambit. Now that would be…"Oh for God's sake Rogue, try and keep your mind on the present, will you!" Like a light switching on, Rogue's face flushed red. "Sorry Ms. Frost."

"Well as you can see Scott, her mind is on other matters. Do you really think this love-struck teenage crush can handle it?" Rogue jumped up from where she had been sitting. "Excuse me? I am not just some teenager! I am the highest score in the Danger Room, I am all the powers in this room incarnate, I am-"

"Yes of course Rogue." Emma Frost gushed, looking at her pitying. "And I'm sure those are all tools you can put to good use in the outside world where REAL LIFE is."

Scott held up his hand. "Emma please. All I want to know is where Wolverine has gone." Emma shrugged, uninterested. "The Wolf man? Who can say? Isn't Storm looking for him?" Scott passed a hand over his tired eyes. "Yes, Scott sent her out to his usual hangouts, but-" Beast said, frowning at Emma. Both Scott and he looked at Emma suddenly, who had turned to look out the window.

"Er-Do you guys want us to leave?" Jubilee said putting up her hand. "Yeah, there's no point of us if the conversation going to be all telepathy." Kitty said. Cyclops looked round at his team. "Normally something like this would include all members of the team." He shrugged. "But this is for the senior members only, I'm afraid." Hank said gently. "Oh Hank don't say _senior_. It makes me shiver inside to think of myself as _old_." Emma said, touching the supposed wrinkles she was supposed to have been getting.

The blonde _witch_ smiled at Rogue as she filed past with the rest of the _junior_ members, who scowled back. "Things would be different if the Prof. was here." Rogue muttered as they all went down to the rec. room. She felt them all look at each other and turned to see what was wrong. "What'd I do?" She said at the expressions on their faces.

"It's nothing that you did Rogue." Jubilee said. "It's that you've been sitting in a bubble of you for the past couple of weeks and not noticing anything that's going on around you. Or caring for that matter." Everyone stared at the firecracker with pained expressions. "What? We all know I'm the mean one. I was going to say it anyway."

Rogue arched an eyebrow at her, not sure how she was to react to the girl who had stolen her boyfriend. It had been a couple of weeks and they were acting naturally with each other for the team, but for her to be this aggressive…well it was a bit…"Oh don't even start Rogue." Jubilee said, putting up her hand. "I know what you're thinking. I have no right, right?" Rogue opened her mouth to say 'Damn Straight!' But Jubilee's big mouth got there first.

"It's not only me who thinks it. We all do." The rest of the team either rolled their eyes or glared at her. "We said we were going to approach this with caution Jubes." Bobby said, nudging her with his elbow. "But now that it's been brought up…" Peter said hesitantly. There was an awkward silence where Rogue put her hands on her hips and starred at them. "Well?" She snapped. "What's wrong?"

Surprisingly, it was Kitty who finally snapped. "Stop being such a heinous bitch!" Rogue looked at her shocked. "Kitty!" Peter put his hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "You've been really distant Rogue, really…" He shrugged. "You haven't been noticing anything around you." Bobby said, which was probably the final straw. Maybe not Jubilee, but Bobby had no right to say anything.

"What the hell have I not noticed? I noticed you and Jubilee didn't I ? I was awake enough for that, wasn't I?" Push a few guilt buttons. That should work. "Rogue, Jubilee and I broke up a week and a half ago." She starred at him. "No…I would have-" She started but Jubilee cut in. "Noticed? Yeah right. But he's right. I'm dating Alex now."

Rogue starred in disbelief. "Non." She said. "Oui." Jubilee replied happily. "Scott's brother?" She nodded. "He's a geek." She shrugged. "But so cute and really caring. And I figure, what's so bad about going out with the future team leader. It can get you places, you know."

"You should see them together." Kitty said smiling. "Last week at Clements they-" Rogue paled. "You went to Clements without me?" They all looked at each other. "We came to ask you Rogue, but you were in a session with the Prof." She looked at them all, feeling so out of touch. "It's either that, or a session in the danger room."

She ran her hands through her hair, really craving a smoke. "I've been training." She murmured. "It helps me…Touch." She looked up at them as if it suddenly occurred to her. "I can touch. Look." She touched their hands in turn and they smiled half-heartedly. "Yeah we know Rogue. But what good is that if you have no relationships with any of you friends?"

She shook her head. "I don't understand. I can have relationships now." Bobby shook his head. "Rogue you had better relationships, with friends and me, when you couldn't touch." She felt the anger building up inside of her. "So, what! I'm just meant to go back to being a caged animal? I don't want to-"

"Scott's sick." Kitty said, cutting her off before she got into the full swing. "I-What?" She said, not understanding. "Scott's sick." Kitty said again slowly. "It's true Rogue." Peter said. "He's always tired now. Always…thinking, or something." She frowned. "Last week, in the danger room," Bobby volunteered. "He was with me and Pete, exploring powers and all that. And he just, I dunno, collapsed."

"Last Tuesday?" Rogue said, trying to think of what she'd been doing the week before. "You were in a session with the Professor again." Jubilee said. Rogue turned away from them. "I can't be this out of touch. How long is it since Gambit left?" Pete shrugged. "About a month ago." It couldn't have been that long ago…could it?

"Please," she said, placing a hand on the wall to steady herself. "I don't understand. How could I have…No." Peter and Bobby went to hold her up. "Rogue, It's ok." She shook her head. "No. Where's Xavier?" She felt them look at each other again. "The Professor's in Washington for a conference. You know that."

She shook her head, this time violently. "No. I can't- NO." It had been there. It was always there. And this time it took the advantage. And killed them all.


End file.
